Russia won't get involved in geopolitical intrigues and conflicts - Putin
Russia threatens no one and will stay aloof from geopolitical intrigues, however strongly anyone may wish to pull the country into them, said Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, addressing a meeting on the development of the armed forces.
“We are not threatening anyone and are not planning to get involved in any geopolitical games, intrigues and especially conflicts, no matter who would want to pull us into them,” Putin said at a meeting with military chiefs in the Black Sea resort of Sochi on Wednesday.
The president stressed the importance of ensuring the sovereignty and integrity of Russia and its allies. He also said that an “integrated approach and the unification of all public authorities is needed in solving issues concerning national defense.”
He noted that in recent years, Russia has completed the formation of an integral system of military planning, updated military management, and in January last year a new defense plan was approved.
On Monday, Putin met Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu and head of GHQ Valery Gerasimov to discuss military development plans. The top officials talked about the formation of military units in Crimea, and a new unified strategic command in the Arctic based on Russia’s Northern fleet from December 1.
"For us one of the priorities of military construction remains the development of individual arms and services," Putin added at the Monday meeting.
Last month Shoigu revealed that Russia’s military is currently rebuilding two northern bases in the Novosibirsk Islands and in the Franz Josef Land archipelago. By next year, Russia will complete a network of radar stations in the Arctic, he added.
READ MORE: Russian army beefs up Artic presence over Western threat
“This year we will have total radar coverage and in 2015 we will be almost fully prepared to meet unwelcome guests from east and north,” the minister said.
In addition to domestic military modernization, Russia will continue upgrading its foreign military bases as well, Shoigu elaborated. “We are continuing to develop our bases in Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Armenia,” he said, adding that this year Russia had deployed a fighter squadron in Belarus.
