MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday his country would order new weapons unlike any other in the world after threatening to target allies of the United States.
"Russia does not threaten anyone and has strictly respected its obligations in the area of international security and arms control," Putin said during a meeting with senior military leaders and law enforcement officials on Thursday.
At the same time, he noted that Russian arsenals would be updated to ensure protection from potential threats.
Putin's remarks on the same day, which began NATO's largest military exercise since the Cold War, come in Norway with about 55 thousand members of the army.
The Russian president's statement coincided with the announcement by his US counterpart, Donald Trump, that he intended to withdraw from a nuclear arms control treaty, signed in 1987 for allegedly violating Russia.
"If the United States withdraws from the medium-range nuclear power treaty, the main question is what they will do with these newly available missiles, if they send them to Europe, then our response will naturally be similar," the Russian president said.
Putin said the collapse of disarmament treaties could trigger a new arms race after the US president's announcement.
"If the United States abandons the medium-range nuclear missile treaty and refuses to renew the agreement known as New START," he said, "the situation could become very serious." Russia will reciprocate and do so quickly and effectively.
The Russian president said he hoped to discuss the matter with his US counterpart in Paris on the sidelines of the November 11 events marking the 100th anniversary of the truce.
