Putin: 'New Arms Race Unleashed in the World'

[Jacaylbaro]

MOSCOW. Feb. 8 -- President Vladimir Putin said Friday that "a new arms race has been unleashed in the world" as the United States moves forward with a missile defense system in Central Europe. And he dismissed American assurances that the system was not directed against Russia as nothing more than "diplomatic cover."

 

"It's not our fault. We didn't start it . . . funneling multi-billions of dollars into developing weapons systems," Putin said in what may be his final major address before he leaves the Kremlin after presidential elections March 2. "Russia has and always will have a response to these new challenges. Over the next few years, Russia will start production of new types of arms, with the same or even superior specifications compared to those available to other nations."

 

He said, however, that Russian military spending should not come at the cost of its economic and social development.

 

Putin spoke Friday to Russia's State Council, a gathering of ministers, regional governors and members of parliament. Among those watching was Dmitry Medvedev, Putin's chosen successor as president, who faces little opposition in next month's vote and is expected to coast to victory. His most vocal opponent, former prime minister Mikhail Kasyanov, was barred from running.

 

Medvedev has struck a milder tone than his boss in recent speeches, and has avoided any rhetorical assaults on the West. He even edited out some anti-Western flourishes from a recent speech prepared by his staff, according to a report in Newsweek's Russian edition.

 

But Putin's swan song address was in keeping with his increasingly harsh tone over the last couple of years as Russia and the West have clashed over a host of issues, including the future status of Kosovo and Russia's democratic development.

 

Friday's uncompromising words struck the now familiar theme that the West, resentful of Russia's resurgence under Putin's stewardship, is encircling Russia through NATO expansion and attempting to subvert it internally by funding opponents of the Kremlin. Although the West speaks of freedom and democracy, Putin said its real agenda is access to the natural resources that "God has graced us with."

 

"Thus many conflicts, foreign policy actions and diplomatic protests reek of oil and gas," he said.

 

Among Russia's neighbors, Ukraine and Georgia are seeking membership in NATO and Putin accused the military alliance of bad faith.

 

"We drew down our bases in Cuba and in Vietnam. What did we get?" he asked. "New American bases in Romania, Bulgaria. A new third missile defense region in Poland."

 

"We are categorically being told these actions aren't directed at Russia, and therefore our concerns are completely unfounded," he continued. "That's not a constructive response."

 

Putin said that "irresponsible demagogy, attempts to split society and to use foreign assistance and interference in the course of political struggle in Russia are not only immoral, but also illegal."

 

The speech, which was punctuated by frequent applause, also enumerated what Putin saw as his achievements.

 

"We have returned to the world arena as a state which is taken account of, and which can stand up for itself," he said.

 

Turning to the country's domestic development, he contrasted Russia's current stability and economic growth with what the Kremlin frequently describes as the chaos of the 1990s under President Boris Yeltsin.

 

"We have managed to rid the country of the vicious practice of government decisions made under pressure from raw materials and financial monopolies, media moguls, foreign political circles and brazen populists that cynically ignored not only national interests but the basic needs of millions of people," said Putin. "First of all, we started restoring the constitutional order, reviving basic social guarantees to individuals and strengthening government institutions."

 

Putin noted proudly that Russia has joined "the ranks of the seven biggest economies in the world." But he said the country needs to diversify and wean itself from dependence on the sale of oil and other natural resources to fuel growth.

 

"We are still modernizing our economy in a very fragmented way," he said. "The Russian economy is still very ineffective."

 

 

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[NASSIR]

"We need another World War to reverse the accelerating gains of some borne by the widespread injustices of the way the internatinoal system works" It was a remark threw at me by a fellow colleague who is from Russia after having a discussion on global issues.

[Jacaylbaro]

But will that world war riverse it or it will be the end of the world ?