NATO rearmament not threat to Russia: Putin

Moscow: Russia does not consider any rearmament efforts by the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) as a threat to its national security, President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday during a meeting with the heads of major global news agencies in St. Petersburg.

“We do not see any NATO rearmament as a threat to the Russian Federation, because we are self-sufficient in terms of ensuring our own security,” Putin said.

He emphasised that Russia continuously enhances its military and defence capabilities, Xinhua news agency reported.

“Whatever NATO does, of course, creates certain risks, but we are fully capable of neutralising all emerging threats. There is no doubt about that,” he said.

Putin also questioned the rationale behind NATO member states increasing their defence budgets, suggesting such actions are unnecessary.

“Any rearmament or raising budgets to five per cent of GDP by NATO countries makes no sense,” he added.

His remarks came amid growing discussions within NATO about increasing defence spending.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently indicated that all NATO members are expected to agree to raise defence expenditures to five per cent of GDP over the next decade.

Putin also denounced Western narratives about Russian “aggression” as unfounded.

“The legend that Russia is going to attack NATO is nonsense,” he said.

Taking aim at the alliance’s global military expenditures, Putin noted that “NATO countries spend $1.4 trillion on defence, more than all the world’s countries combined”.

He further accused Western powers of double standards, saying: “You write rules for others, but you yourself are not going to follow them. Who will live by such rules?”

His remarks came amid heightened tensions between Russia and NATO over Ukraine, defence posturing in Eastern Europe, and recent proposals within the alliance to boost long-term defence commitments.

“We will counter all threats that arise. There is no doubt about that,” Putin said.

The Russian President has cast his offensive in Ukraine as part of a wider conflict between Russia and NATO.

Kyiv is seeking security guarantees from NATO as part of any deal to end the fighting, more than three years after Russia ordered its full-scale military offensive.

–IANS