Moscow says West could use Ukraine standoff to build up forces it

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Friday that Moscow had grounds to believe the United States and NATO could start building up forces near Russia in the coming months, using the tensions around Ukraine as a pretext.

Lavrov said Russia wanted the standoff over security in Europe to be resolved with mutual respect and a balance of interests. Moscow has various options to respond if the West spurns Russia's security proposals, he said.

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