Extra defense spending will boost industry, not militarize economy - Putin
YALTA. Aug 14 (Interfax) - The Russian forces development program aims to boost the national defense industry and not militarize our economy, said Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Speaking at a meeting with Duma faction members in Yalta on Thursday, the president recalled that the program involves 20-trillion ruble in spending for creating and arming Russian troops with the most advanced types of weapons, some of which have no international counterparts.
"We have yet to please our partners with both the ideas and their concrete materialization, I mean these (weapon) systems," Putin said.
He recalled the work carried out in the field of strategic offensive weapons, in particular, on nuclear deterrence, "and also something that has not been talked about yet."
"This is not militarization but a very serious additional impulse to develop our defense industry," Putin said.