Story highlights Russian spokesman: US troop increase in Eastern Europe is 'a 'threat'

Spokesman Peskov expresses hope for improved US-Russia relations

Moscow (CNN) Russia has criticized US troop deployments in Europe, saying that the deployment of thousands of US soldiers as part of continuous troop rotations to Eastern Europe is "a threat" to Russian security.

When asked about US and NATO troops in Poland, Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov told journalists on a conference call Thursday that Russia's response was a natural reaction to an increase in military strength by a neighbor.

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"We see it as a threat to us. This is an action that threatens our interests, our security, moreover, this is a third nation (apart from Russia and Poland) that is increasing its military presence near our borders in Europe, and it's not even a European nation.

"One thousand or ten thousand -- we're talking about the increase of military presence. There's nothing to add."

Earlier this week 4,000 US soldiers arrived in Germany as part of troop rotations to Europe that the Pentagon said are meant to send a clear message to Russia.

Maj. Gen. Timothy McGuire, deputy commander of US miltary in Europe, supervises the unloading of US military vehicles from a transport ship in the harbor in Bremerhaven, northwestern Germany.

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