In Germany, the placement of Iskander missiles in Kaliningrad was convicted

Russia's decision on the constant placement of Iskander missiles in Kaliningrad means a step backward for European security. This was statedin an interview with "Interfax" German Minister of Foreign Affairs Sigmar Gabriel.

Last year, Russia transferred ballistic missiles with nuclear weapons to Kaliningrad and launched the S-400 missile defense system there and claimed that the deployment was part of ordinary exercises, but Western military officials fear that placement could become constant.

"If the Iskander missiles are in Kaliningrad on an ongoing basis, this would be a reason for great concern and a blow to European security," Gabriel told Interfax. “That's why we are very carefully monitoring what is happening in Kaliningrad,” said the Foreign Minister of the Federal Republic of Germany.

Gabriel rejected Russia's criticism for the deployment of NATO 4000 military personnel in Poland and the Baltic countries, including 400 German soldiers in Lithuania.

“Germany and other NATO states were not the first to enter the Baltic states,” he told Interfax, adding that the number of German troops in the region was small compared to the massive increase in the Russian armed forces.

Gabriel gave an interview before a trip to Moscow, where on March 9 he will meet with the Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.