Vyacheslav Nikonov, from the Russian State Duma committee on international affairs, tells the BBC there is "nothing special" about Russian military exercises near Ukraine.
Asked about Moscow's large military build-up, Nikonov says information about Russian troops gathering on the border is "from Western sources so you must know better".
He insists: "Russian exercises are standard, regular, and there is nothing special about it."
Questioned on if there was a parallel between the crisis now and World War Two, Nikonov - whose grandfather Vyacheslav Molotov was Soviet foreign minister during WW2 and concluded the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact with Nazi Germany - says Nato approaching Russian borders "seems very much the same, like Hitler, that's how it looks to us".
He adds that Russia does not want a repeat of World War Two and that "Russians do not start wars, Russians finish wars".
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BBC