Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday once more accused the West of upsetting the battle in Ukraine as a part of centuries-long efforts to weaken and finally break up Russia.
“We all the time thought-about the Ukrainian individuals as brotherly, and I nonetheless suppose so,” Putin declared whereas addressing defence chiefs in Moscow.
“What’s occurring is actually a tragedy, however it’s not a results of our coverage. For hundreds of years, our strategic adversaries have been setting the purpose to disintegrate and weaken our nation … viewing it as too massive and posing a possible menace,” the Russian president mentioned.
Putin introduced a plan to extend Russia’s navy from 1 million personnel to 1.5 million.
Talking on the assembly Putin held with prime navy brass, defence minister Sergei Shoigu mentioned the 1.5 million-member navy ought to embody 695,000 volunteer contract troopers.
Shoigu additionally declared plans to type new navy models in western Russia to counterbalance plans by Finland and Sweden to affix Nato.
Putin ordered mobilisation of 300,000 reservists in September to beef up Russia’s forces in Ukraine.
Kremlin warns US
The Kremlin warned on Wednesday that rising the availability of US arms to Kyiv would worsen the devastating 10-month warfare ignited by Russia’s unlawful invasion and “doesn’t bode nicely” for embattled Ukraine.
The US will present $1.85 billion in further navy help for Ukraine, together with a switch of the Patriot Air Defence System, secretary of state Antony Blinken mentioned in an announcement on Wednesday.
The help features a $1 billion drawdown to offer Ukraine with “expanded air defence and precision-strike capabilities” and a further $850 million in safety help, Blinken mentioned.
“Weapon provides (by the US) proceed, the assortment of equipped weapons is increasing. All this, in fact, results in an aggravation of the battle and, the truth is, doesn’t bode nicely for Ukraine,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov informed reporters.
