In response to Russia's efforts to strengthen its military and weaponry, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and the U.S. Secretary of State reacted. After Vladimir Putin announced that over forty intercontinental ballistic missiles would be added to Russia's nuclear arsenal, NATO deemed it unjustifiable and threatening, while John Kerry called it a violation of the START treaty. Radio Farda sought the reasoning behind this decision from military expert Hossein Aryan: The deterioration of U.S.-Russia relations over the Ukraine crisis, along with NATO's increasing presence in Eastern European countries and intensified activities in the Baltic states and Poland, has led Putin to seek to further strengthen his country's armed forces. This is why he announced (considering the arms and equipment exhibition held near Moscow this year) that he would increase the number of his intercontinental ballistic missiles. This is essentially a show of strength politically and sends a message to European countries, especially the U.S., that Russia remains a military power and will use this power if necessary. But how does this stand militarily? Is the strengthening of Russia's nuclear arsenal truly a threat and dangerous for NATO? Russia has extraordinary military capabilities. According to the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) signed between the U.S. and Russia, as well as the new START agreement signed in April 2010 in Prague between Obama and Medvedev, it was agreed to reduce the number of strategic weapons and nuclear warheads to 1550 for each country. However, that treaty and START in general have been largely forgotten. Concurrently, it should be noted that Russia is under a rearmament program aiming to enhance its military capabilities and achieve the highest possible quality and efficiency of weapons and equipment by 2020. However, it is important to emphasize that Russia's military spending is in no way comparable to that of the U.S. It has the capability, but its spending is not comparable to that of the U.S. If we take the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute's report for 2014 as a benchmark, Russia had military expenditures of $84.5 billion in 2014. If we compare this to U.S. military spending, it amounts to 14% of U.S. military spending and 40% of China's military spending for that same year. Thus, Russia ranks third. Nevertheless, it remains a very significant military power and is simultaneously strengthening its military arsenal. Does Russia really have a reactive policy, or is it pursuing another strategy? Putin's reaction is more related to Eastern Europe, which he views as his backyard, and the fact that NATO forces are increasingly approaching its borders.
Russia's Nuclear Posturing
Russia plans to add over forty intercontinental ballistic missiles to its nuclear arsenal, prompting NATO and the U.S. to express concerns about this move. Military expert Hossein Aryan attributes this decision to the deteriorating U.S.-Russia relations and NATO's growing presence in Eastern Europe. This development underscores Russia's intention to assert its military strength amidst rising tensions.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
Russia announced the addition of over forty intercontinental ballistic missiles to its nuclear arsenal, prompting criticism from NATO and the U.S. This move is seen as a response to deteriorating relations with the West and increased NATO presence in Eastern Europe.
- Russia plans to enhance its nuclear arsenal with new missiles.
- NATO and the U.S. view this as a threat and a violation of the START treaty.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
The Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) aims to reduce nuclear arsenals, but recent developments suggest a shift away from these agreements.
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
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