Brussels, April 21 (RHC)-- The Russian military will respond with “all necessary measures” to incidents of “intimidation” such as the U.S. naval destroyer that recently sailed close to Russia’s coastline.  “This is about attempts to exercise military pressure on Russia," said Russia’s NATO Ambassador Alexander Grushko during the first meeting between the military alliance and Russia since relations soured over the crisis in Ukraine two years ago. 

Russia's representative to NATO added that Moscow will "take all necessary measures and precautions to compensate for these attempts to use military force."

On April 11, the U.S. guided-missile destroyer USS Cook sailed close to a Russian naval base in the Baltic, an action which resulted in the scrambling of the Russian aircraft that buzzed the ship.

Russia and NATO have been locked in a deepening dispute.  The U.S.-dominated NATO military alliance accuses Russia of backing militias in eastern Ukraine.  Moscow denies the allegation and argues that the Western alliance is using the situation to move closer to its borders.