Nato rearmament not a ‘threat’ to Russia: Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin said yesterday that Nato's push to ramp up defence spending was not a "threat" to Russia, days before the alliance was set to sign-off on a plan to boost its military capacity across Europe.

In a late-night press conference, the Russian leader also said his troops would not stop pushing forward in Ukraine and sought to undermine his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky.

The Western military alliance will hold a crucial summit in The Hague next week to discuss increasing defence spending to five percent of GDP, under pressure from US President Donald Trump.

Putin has cast his offensive in Ukraine as part of a wider conflict between Russia and US-led Nato, which has been Ukraine's staunchest backer since Russia launched its offensive in February 2022.

"We do not consider any rearmament by Nato to be a threat to the Russian Federation, because we are self-sufficient in terms of ensuring our own security," Putin said at a televised press conference in Saint Petersburg.

Russia is "constantly modernising our armed forces and defensive capabilities," Putin said, adding that it made "no sense" for Nato to spend more money on arms.

Though he conceded higher spending by Nato would create some "specific" challenges for Russia, he brushed them off.

"We will counter all threats that arise. There is no doubt about that," Putin added.

Kyiv is seeking security guarantees from Nato as part of any deal to end the fighting, more than three years after Russia ordered its full-scale military offensive.

Moscow has shown little willingness to back down, with Putin saying yesterday that Russia had the "strategic advantage" on the battlefield.