Russia has established "comprehensive interaction" with North Korea and is continuing its course of "strategic partnership" with India and China, the chief of the Russian General Staff, Valery Gerasimov, told a briefing of foreign military attaches on Thursday.

He said NATO's activity in Eastern Europe and the "accelerated integration" of Sweden and Finland into the U.S.-defence alliance were negatively affecting the situation in Europe, "with prospects for increased confrontation". (Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Kevin Liffey)