Russia can respond to challenges put up by other countries without being dragged into arms race - Putin

NOVO-OGARYOVO, January 20 /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that Russia would be able to respond to challenges put up by other countries without being dragged into an arms race. “We are not going to be dragged into a costly arms race. Russia is not threatening anybody and seeks to resolve all disputable issues at the negotiating table. This is the way we are going to act in future. We are going to stick exactly to this kind of policy,” Putin told a meeting of the Russian Military-Industrial Commission. “We can see how other countries are openly declaring their geopolitical claims without stopping short of open interference in the internal affairs of independent states. In addition to that, they are actively building up and modernizing their military arsenals,” Putin said adding that under these circumstances Russia was obliged to reliably guarantee the protection of its sovereignty, territorial integrity and national interests. “When I say that many or other countries have been pursuing a different policy, namely a policy of exerting pressure by force, you all understand what I mean. We have been witnessing all that over a long period of time. All this is being done to the accompaniment of talk about international law and desire to resolve problems by means of negotiations,” Putin went on to say. In this connection, Putin referred to the words of Otto von Bismarck who used to say that potentials were more important than intentions. “We see the potentials growing,” the Russian head of state said adding that he had already presented figures on military spending by Russia, the United States and other countries. “These are incommensurable quantities. They are just incommensurable. They spend many times more than we do,” Putin stressed. "We can and should respond to this challenge but without being dragged into a costly arms race,” the president said. He added that he was convinced that Russia could do that if it focused on development of high technologies. “We are going to further strengthen our Armed Forces and the military organization on the whole; we are going to take all necessary measures to make our Armed Forces more modern, mobile, well-equipped and capable of fulfilling the main task - that is to neutralize risks and political threats as well as potential threats to the security of our country,” Putin said. Read more