Russia moves missiles closer to Europe

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said his country will move missiles closer to Europe over "concern" about Nato expansion.

Moscow will deploy S-400 surface-to-air missiles and nuclear-capable Iskander missiles in the exclave of Kaliningrad, a pro-Kremlin lawmaker told the state-owned RIA news agency.

"Why are we reacting to Nato expansion so emotionally? We are concerned by Nato's decision making," Putin said in an interview due to be broadcast later on Monday.

"What should we do? We have, therefore, to take countermeasures, which means to target with our missile systems the facilities, that, in our opinion, start posing a threat to us," he added.

Speaking to a Nato parliamentary meeting in Istanbul, Nato's Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said: "Everything Nato does is defensive, proportionate and fully in line with our international commitments. Before Russia's aggressive actions in Ukraine, Nato had no plans to send troops to the Eastern part of our alliance."

Up to 300,000 Nato troops were put on alert earlier this month. In October, Nato was preparing to station 4,000 troops on the Russian border with the Baltic states in its biggest military build-up since the Cold War.