Russia Warns of Provocative France-Poland Nuclear Exercises Ahead of NPT Conference

IZHEVSK, April 24. /TASS/. The intention of France and Poland to conduct military exercises on nuclear deterrence is both provocative and cynical, and Russia is therefore closely monitoring such activities, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said. The diplomat commented on reports that France and Poland are discussing the issue of conducting joint military exercises as part of the French forward nuclear deterrence initiative. "I can confirm once again that the relevant activities of the European Union and NATO countries in the military-nuclear sphere are being monitored by us very closely, including the increasing involvement of nominally non-nuclear countries from the Western camp in these efforts," the diplomat said. "Such actions are, of course, openly provocative and cynical, especially on the eve of the Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons scheduled to begin on April 27, and are an example of this kind of aggressive nuclear rhetoric and manipulation in this sphere. But these are not our actions, these are the actions of the West," Zakharova concluded.