Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that NATO was "growing near our borders" and pointed out the need to strengthen security measures along the Russian border. 

According to AP, Putin made the comments during a meeting of the Russian Security Council on Friday.

"NATO's potential is growing near our borders, efforts are being made to stop Russia's involvement in integration processes, new conflicts are being provoked and old conflicts are being fuelled in the post-Soviet space and in the regions neighbouring Russia."

He said: "In these circumstances the key task is to provide reliable security and protection of our borders, to neutralise potential threats quickly and effectively, while at the same time, we have to keep our country being open, we always say that the Russian border has to stay well protected but also as free-flowing as possible for all who cross it legally and with good intentions."

Russia’s TASS reported that Putin also said it was highly important to protect Russia’s borders from terrorists, illegal migrants and drug trafficking.

"First of all, it is necessary to use a comprehensive approach to neutralizing risks and threats in relation to border security," he said.

TASS quoted Putting as saying "the point at issue is the reliable protection of our territory from terrorists and extremists, from trans-national and cross-border crime, the active work to bust the channels of drug trafficking, illegal migration, the smuggling of material and cultural values, strategic raw materials and bio-resources."

Putin said the the situation is changing; “it is changing quickly and constantly, and new challenges and tasks are emerging in the border sphere and other areas."

"Thus, NATO is building up its military potential near our borders and attempts are being made to halt integration processes with Russia’s participation, provoke new and stir up old conflicts in the post-Soviet space and in regions neighboring on Russia with all the ensuing consequences - military and political instability, the growth of smuggling and crime and acute humanitarian problems," he said. 

Meanwhile, also on Friday, the United States imposed major sanctions against 24 Russians, striking at allies of Putin, in one of Washington’s most aggressive moves to punish Moscow for its alleged meddling in the 2016 US election and other “malign activity.”

The action, taken under pressure from the US Congress, freezes the US assets of oligarchs such as aluminum tycoon Oleg Deripaska, a close associate of Putin, and lawmaker Suleiman Kerimov, whose family controls Russia’s largest gold producer, Polyus.

According to Reuters, the sanctions largely respond to what US intelligence agencies have said was Russian interference in the presidential election, although the US Treasury Department painted them as a response to a series of adversarial actions by Moscow.

Relations already had worsened recently as the United States expelled Russian diplomats over a poisoning case in Britain and imposed sanctions on Russians for alleged links to cyber-attacks.

The latest move is aimed at seven Russian oligarchs and 12 companies they own or control, plus 17 senior Russian government officials.