Putin criticizes NATO plan for boosting defense spending
Russian President Vladimir Putin has criticized NATO leaders, claiming they are escalating a global arms race.
He made the statement in a speech in Moscow on Monday, ahead of the start of the bloc's two-day summit in The Hague.
Commenting on NATO leaders' expected agreement on raising their defense spending, Putin said, "This highlights the drivers of the global military escalation and the arms race."
He also said NATO leaders had "fabricated" a narrative about Russia's potential invasion of Europe and "repeat it year after year to mislead their own populations."
He went on to say, "Amid escalating geopolitical tensions, we remain committed to taking appropriate measures to bolster the security of Russia and our allies while advancing the development of our Armed Forces as a safeguard for Russia's sovereign and independent development."
Meanwhile, Russian forces launched a massive ballistic missile attack on the eastern Ukrainian city of Dnipro on Tuesday. Local officials said the attack killed 21 people and wounded more than 300 others.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the strike hit homes, schools and a passenger train carrying about 500 people. He described it as "another Russian strike on life" and called for a "significant strengthening" of sanctions against Russia.
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