Having a military base for Russia is not a goal in itself, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.

He said that unlike some states, they are not supporters of military expansion, RIA Novosti reports. According to Lavrov, the creation of bases abroad for the sake of showing strength, including in Latin America, is not a goal in itself for Russia.

 In contrast, Lavrov said that the actions of the West, namely NATO to build up military infrastructure near Russian borders and the deployment of U.S. missile defense in Europe, cause “the deepest concern” in Moscow.

Lavrov said that such destructive steps, undermining the principle of indivisibility of security, lead to further escalation of tensions in the Euro-Atlantic area and provoke deepening of dividing lines on the European continent. In this context, Russia takes reasonable additional measures to increase defense capacity and protect national interests.