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Russia to keep building up defensive potential due to forecasted threats - Putin

In his words, the zones of instability are multiplying and expanding in the world

MOSCOW, February 27 (Itar-Tass) – Russia will continue to build up its defensive potential due to forecasted threats, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a meeting of the Russian Defence Ministry board on Wednesday.

In his words, the zones of instability are multiplying and expanding in the world. Armed conflicts do not end in the Middle East, Central Asia, the danger of exporting radicalism and chaos in neighbouring regions with Russia is growing.

“At the same time systematic attempts are being taken to shake the strategic balance in some way,” the president said. “The second stage of the creation of a US global missile defence system was actually launched, the NATO states are looking into its opportunities for further eastward expansion of the alliance, several countries pursue the policy aimed at militarization of the Arctic region,” Putin noted.

“All mentioned challenges directly affect Russian national interests, and respectively, predetermine our priorities,” the president remarked.

Putin noted that Russian priorities envisage the development of close integration in Eurasia, the build-up of the common economic space and the transition to the forming of the Eurasian Economic Union. These country’s priorities are also broader partnership relations in the SCO and BRICS formats, the promotion of the processes to form a real multi-polar world, the development of the mechanisms of collective allied response to potential challenges of regional security, including the strengthening of the military component of the Collective Security Treaty Organization. “Finally, this is the build-up of our own defensive potential due to the forecasted threats,” the president said in conclusion.

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