Updated 12:30 p.m. Moscow Time
MOSCOW, September 28 (RIA Novosti) – Russia does not plan to start an arms race, but the country will be well-protected, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview to Channel 5.
“I assure you, there will be no arms race, but our country will be well-protected,” Lavrov said.
“We have everything we need for that, we have power, political stamina and outstanding specialists that are working on the improvement of the defense capacity of the country with the most advanced methods,” he added.
Earlier this month, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the Russian government would create a balanced defense strategy for 2016 - 2025, but said that the country will not be involved in an arms race. A new military doctrine is scheduled to be released by December.
Both Russia and China are in the midst of modernizing their militaries with Russia expected to add some $700 billion in additional spending to its military budget, according to The Fiscal Times. Both countries have recently invested in new nuclear submarines, drones, missile technology, and cyber warfare. The United States currently has the largest defense budget in the world, some $500 billion more than Russia’s, which has been used in projects modernizing old weapons systems.
