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Russia must take into account growing military spending of US, says senator

Earlier, Donald Trump signed a $716 bln defense spending bill

MOSCOW, August 14./TASS/. Russia must take into account an increase in military spending in the new law on the Pentagon’s budget for the 2019 fiscal year, as this means the US will be updating its military systems, Russia’s senator and former ambassador to the US, Sergey Kislyak, told TASS on Tuesday.

"Of course we must this into account, as military programs, an increase in personnel and evidently modernization of a whole range of armaments used by the US will be behind the huge money, an unprecedented $716 bln,", said Kislyak, the first deputy chairman of the Federation Council’s international affairs committee.

He said the signing of the law came as "a new manifestation of Americans’ staking on strength in foreign affairs," which was predicable given previous statements of the US authorities.

However, the senator does not believe the law should evoke "a feeling of an additional changing threat". "No, we all were aware of this, and our defense budget and military efforts proceed from the necessary for the Russian Federation defense. So we will ensure Russia’s security under all circumstances, surely and calmly within the framework of our own program," Kislak stressed.

On August 13, US President Donald Trump signed a $716-billion defense budget for the 2019 fiscal year (beginning on October 1). The signing ceremony took place at Fort Drum, New York, the base of the 10th mountain division.

The law instructs the Department of Defense to consider the possibility of deploying more missile defense components in Europe in response to alleged violations of the INF treaty by Russia.