Gerasimov: Russia Develops In Response To Threats

Russia chief of the general staff, Gen. Valeriy Gerasimov delivered a lengthy report on the Russian military to defense attachés in Moscow, yesterday morning.
He said at the outset:

“Aggravation of global and regional security problems characterizes the situation in the world nowadays. First and foremost it is connected with the expansion of the international terrorism and radical extremism…First of all, the NATO military policy, unfriendly towards Russia, is a matter of concern. The alliance expands its military presence and enhances the activity of its armed forces along the borders of the Russian Federation.”

With the deployment of ballistic missile defense and the development of new weapons war, he said, “the problem of imbalance of strategic forces is getting worse.”

Other threats include color revolutions (he didn’t use the term but his description clearly shows that’s what he was talking about) to overthrow governments, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction; cross-border crimes and narco-trafficking; separatism; and uncontrolled migration and xenophobia. He said:

“The assembly of these reasons and presence of inveterate intergovernmental tensions create a threat for escalation of new and current conflicts. Unfortunately, the number of such conflicts is just increasing…Joining efforts of all the world community against the common challenges and threats, first and foremost international terrorism, is the increasingly evident necessity.”

With respect to Syria, Russia is forging relationships with many countries concerning that conflict. Gerasimov said”

“All the more, the modern history has examples of successful cooperation of the Western countries with the Russian Federation. Among them joint activities during the operation of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, solution of the problem of chemical weapons in Syria, ‘boosting’ conversations on the ‘Nuclear program of Iran’, singing and implementation of ‘Minsk Agreements’, fighting against piracy in the area of the Horn of Africa…Under these conditions, the Russian Armed Forces are the main instrument of the state in providing military security in any situation as well as in solving tasks during military conflicts of different intensity.”

Much of the rest of the report was devoted to the modernization efforts of the Russian military, in the realms of manpower, training and equipment which are quite extensive. Most significant was the stress that Gerasimov placed on the modernization of Russia’s nuclear deterrent, which, he said, will be developed “to maintain the strategic offensive and strategic defensive forces at a level, which would provide assured deterrence against aggression towards the Russian Federation and its allies.” Other areas that Gerasimov reported on where progress in re-equipping the military services towards the 70% goal of modern equipment by 2020, and the professionalization of the manpower of the services.

Gerasimov: Russia Develops In Response To Threats

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