International   

Putin calls for strong army

Vladimir Radyuhin

Condemns bloc thinking

MOSCOW: President Vladimir Putin has called for a dramatic defence buildup to enable Russia to resist external threats and pressure.

"In the next five years we are to substantially enhance the capability of the strategic nuclear forces by supplying them with advanced long-range aircraft, submarines and strategic missile launchers," Mr. Putin said delivering his annual state of the nation address to Parliament on Wednesday.

He said new nuclear weapons, including high-precision manoeuvrable warheads capable of foiling missile defences, enabled Russia to "preserve what is one of the most fundamental guarantees of lasting peace — the strategic balance of forces."

Without mentioning the U.S. by name, he said a Cold-War mindset still posed a problem.

"By no means everyone in the world has been able to abandon the stereotypes of bloc thinking and prejudice which are a carry over from the epoch of global confrontation, though there have been fundamental changes in the world," Mr. Putin said. "And this seriously hinders us finding adequate and solid answers to common problems."

Arms race

While noting that the arms race continued to spiral out, rising to a new technological level, the Russian leader had a surprise word of praise for the U.S. for maintaining an enormous defence budget, which is 25 times the size of the Russian budget.

"That's what I call 'make one's house one's fortress'," he said. "Well done, well done! "This means we must also build our own house, make it strong and safe, because we see what is happening in the world," he said, suggesting the law of the jungle still ruled the world. "As the saying goes, `Comrade wolf knows whom to eat.' He eats on, listening to no one, and is clearly not going to listen to anyone".

"Where is all their pathos of upholding human rights and democracy when it comes the need to pursue their own interests? It turns out that everything is allowed, that there are holes barred," Mr. Putin added ironically.

Russia needed strong forces capable of fighting a global, a regional, and several local conflicts, Mr. Putin said.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Putin calls for strong army
Israeli threat to Hamas on borders
India invited to Sri Lanka donors meet
Dictatorship of rumour: Chirac
Cannibal jailed for life
Call to fight alcoholism
Suharto may get amnesty
Teen's murder "sectarian"
Musharraf rules out polls before 2008
American fat man stumbles home
Napolitano elected President
Summons issued to Benazir, Asif Zardari

Copyright © 2006, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu