Russia's defense minister Sergey Shoigu accused NATO on Saturday of gradually gathering forces near Russia's borders and being unwilling to discuss European security with Moscow on equal terms, Interfax news agency reported.

"NATO is gradually gathering forces near our borders amid calls for military deterrence of Russia," Interfax quoted Shoigu as saying in a statement, without giving details.

"The German defense minister (Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer) must know really well how a similar thing ended up for Germany and Europe," he added in an apparent reference to World War Two.