Russia considers the upcoming exercises of the Finnish Army near Russia's borders at the end of August in the context of other hostile steps taken by Helsinki, Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing, APA reports citing TASS.
"We note a significant increase in Finland's military activity after the country joined NATO. We have repeatedly noted that the foreign policy of the Finnish leadership today is being built in line with the line of the collective West to inflict, as they put it, a strategic defeat on Russia," the diplomat said.