SpaceWar.com - Your World At War
Putin says NATO rearmament not a 'threat' to Russia
Saint Petersburg, June 18 (AFP) Jun 18, 2025
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that NATO's push to ramp up defence spending was not a "threat" to Russia, as Moscow had all the weapons it needed to defend itself.

The military alliance is pushing members to increase their defence spending to five percent of GDP, under pressure from US President Donald Trump.

"We do not consider any rearmament by NATO to be a threat to the Russian Federation, because we are self-sufficient in terms of ensuring our own security," Putin told reporters, including AFP, at a televised press conference in Saint Petersburg.

He added that Russia was "constantly modernising our armed forces and defensive capabilities".

Though he conceded higher spending by NATO would create some "specific" challenges for Russia, the Kremlin leader said it makes "no sense" for NATO members themselves.

"We will counter all threats that arise. There is no doubt about that," he said.

Putin 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.


ADVERTISEMENT




Space News from SpaceDaily.com
Interference to astronomy the unintended consequence of faster internet
Russian rocket puts Iran satellite into space: Iran media
Viasat unveils IoT Nano service for global low-power connectivity

24/7 Energy News Coverage
NASA's X-59 moves under its own power
Sri Lanka orders Singapore shipowner to pay US$1 bn over marine disaster
More than 80% of Tuvalu seeks Australian climate visa

Military Space News, Nuclear Weapons, Missile Defense
New MachLab rocket test site launches UK into next phase of space engineering
Ukraine's anti-graft body says new bill restores independence
Iran meets European powers amid threats of UN sanctions snapback

24/7 News Coverage
Australia's mammal megafauna face long-term decline from extinctions and invasive species
Alien life clues may emerge from deep sea volcanic vents on Earth
Seismic signatures reveal fragmentation patterns of fireball meteoroids



All rights reserved. Copyright Agence France-Presse. Sections of the information displayed on this page (dispatches, photographs, logos) are protected by intellectual property rights owned by Agence France-Presse. As a consequence, you may not copy, reproduce, modify, transmit, publish, display or in any way commercially exploit any of the content of this section without the prior written consent of Agence France-Presse.