Putin Says U.S. Invented Russian Threat to Boost Defense Spending

Created: 14.02.2007 10:52 MSK (GMT +3), Updated: 13:23 MSK
MosNews

President Vladimir Putin accused the United States of ’playing the anti-Russian card’ to solve its domestic problems and secure more substantial defense spending, the RIA-Novosti news agency reported on Wednesday.

“I have an impression that some partners are promoting themselves and have started using the non-existent Russian threat to get more money from the U.S. Congress for military operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the expensive missile defense project,” Putin said during his visit to Jordan, adding that it was not Russia’s problem.

Last Wednesday, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Washington needed sufficient forces to combat large armies and special units to fight terrorism, adding that developments in countries such as Russia, North Korea, Iran and China were unpredictable.

The president also said that what he spoke about last Saturday at the 43rd Munich Conference on Security Policy contained nothing unexpected and other countries also talk about it.

“[Some countries] speak about U.S. administration rudely and confrontationally and insult it. We believe it is unacceptable. Others speak about it in undertones,” Putin said adding that “It is better to speak directly and openly.”

The Russian leader told the conference in Munich that the reasons the U.S. cited in favor of deploying a missile defense system in Europe are not convincing enough, as launching North Korean ballistic missiles against the U.S. across western Europe would be in conflict with the laws of ballistics.

“This clearly contradicts ballistics laws. Or, as we say in Russia, it’s the like trying to reach your left ear with your right hand,” he said at the conference.

Putin also said the U.S. ignores the basic principles of international law and is striving to impose its own rules on other countries.

“We are seeing increasing disregard for the fundamental principles of international law,” the Russian president said.

Washington has recently moved its largest sea-based missile defense radar in the Pacific from Hawaii to the Aleutian Islands, not far from Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula. It has also announced plans to install a radar system in the Czech Republic and a missile interception system in Poland, which it says it needs to protect itself against a potential threat from Iran.

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