Posted: February 8, 2008

Putin warns of new worldwide arms race

(Nanowerk News) Russian President Vladimir Putin said here Friday that the world is facing a new arms race, RIA news agency reported.
"A new round of the arms race is developing in the world," said Putin, who chaired a meeting of the consultative State Council on Friday to outline the concept of strategic long-term development of the country up to the year 2020.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said here Friday that the world is facing a new arms race, RIA news agency reported.
"Unfortunately, this does not depend on us. It is not our country that started it," said the president, who will step down after eight years in office following the March 2 presidential elections.
Putin said the developed countries, relying on their technological superiority, are channeling billions of dollars into the designing of the next generation of defensive and offensive weapon systems.
"Their allocations in the defense sector exceeded Russia's allocations dozens of times," he said.
He said that growing military-political threats are forcing Russia to take adequate measures to safeguard its national security, adding that Russia is to respond to these challenges by developing more high-tech weapons.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said here Friday that the world is facing a new arms race, RIA news agency reported.
"Russia has and will always have a response to these new challenges," said Putin.
"Over the next few years, Russia will start production of new types of arms, with the same or even superior specifications compared to those available to other nations," he said.
However, Putin stressed that Russia would not be drawn into the new arms race and exhaust its economy and resources.
"Finances made available for these purposes should always be commensurate with the country's capabilities and should not be made at the expense of socioeconomic priorities," he said.
He pointed out that Russia needs an "innovation army," which could meet modern standards.
The president called for the development of Russian science, including nanotechnology, which could be used to develop new types of weapons.
During the meeting on Friday, Putin also proposed a series of new development strategies for the country, including a reduction in the state-controlled sector of the economy and creating more incentives for private investment.
Relations between Russia and NATO have been strained over Washington's plans to deploy a missile defense shield in eastern Europe, Moscow's suspension of a landmark arms treaty and disagreements over the future of Kosovo.
Source: Xinhua