Russian President Putin stated that Russia may cancel its self-imposed restrictions on the development of intermediate-range missiles and will keep its non-strategic nuclear forces on a continuous readiness status. He warned that the West is pushing Moscow towards 'a red line from which we cannot retreat.'
On Monday, Putin expressed his concerns about the U.S. deploying intermediate-range missiles overseas during a speech to the Ministry of Defense, warning that NATO's ambitions have 'exceeded its historical responsibility zone.'
He added that in response to the U.S. deploying intermediate-range missiles in Europe and Asia, Russia will accelerate the production of hypersonic weapons, such as the newly launched 'Oreshnik' ballistic missile that was first fired at Ukraine last month.
Andrei Belousov, who was appointed Minister of Defense in the cabinet reshuffle in May, told the same audience that the Russian military needs to prepare for mid-term scenarios, including 'military conflict with NATO in Europe over the next 10 years.'
European leaders have warned since the beginning of this year that, in addition to continuing its offensive in Ukraine, Russia is preparing for a broader conflict with the Western military alliance.
But Putin stated that the claim that Russia poses a threat to the European continent is an 'absurd statement,' and he blamed any escalation of the conflict on the United States and its European allies.
He accused the U.S. of providing weapons to Ukraine, including advanced Western weapons that attack deep into Russian territory, thereby 'encouraging Ukraine to further escalate the conflict.'
Putin stated that Russia has gained the upper hand on the battlefield this year, capturing 189 towns, making 2024 a 'milestone' for achieving its military objectives. He said that with a record budget expenditure of 13.5 trillion rubles (about 130 billion USD) in the next year's budget, Russia's defense industry has enhanced military strength by developing new missile guidance systems and producing new attack drones.
Putin said that Russia is also maintaining its troops by recruiting about 1,000 volunteers to join the fight each day. He added that Russia recruited 430,000 this year, compared to 300,000 a year ago, which has helped Russia turn the tide against the Ukrainian army, which is outnumbered and outgunned.
However, Putin admitted that the current level of defense spending cannot be 'infinitely increased' at the expense of other priorities such as science, education, and healthcare. Putin stated that Russia is taking 'extra measures to ensure the safety of ourselves and our allies,' but hopes to avoid being drawn into a full-scale arms race 'at the expense of our country's socioeconomic development.'
On the same day, U.S. President-elect Trump held a press conference at his private club Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, where he discussed the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Trump stated that Zelensky should be prepared to reach an agreement with Putin to end the nearly three-year Russia-Ukraine conflict. 'An agreement must be reached,' he said.
Trump said he was disturbed by the images of the massacre in the conflict. 'It (the conflict) must stop,' Trump said.
When asked if he thinks Ukraine should cede territory to Russia as part of a negotiated solution to end the conflict, Trump did not give a direct answer.
Trump has expressed his desire to quickly end the conflict but has been cautious about the details. In an interview last week with (Time) magazine, he said he has a 'very good plan' to help, but if he reveals it now, 'it would become almost worthless.'
The article is forwarded from: Jin Ten Data