Leadership in military technology is a top priority, the president told leaders of the Collective Security Treaty Organization<\/p>\n
Battle-tested Russian weaponry will be available to fellow members of a key regional security alliance, President Vladimir Putin has said.
\nMembers of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), which also includes Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, can benefit from Russia\u2019s combat-proven military hardware, he said at a leaders\u2019 summit in Kyrgyzstan.
\nPutin pledged that Moscow will work to strengthen the readiness of the CSTO\u2019s rapid-response forces in the coming year, when Russia assumes the organization\u2019s rotating chairmanship.
\n\u201cWe propose a large-scale program to rearm the collective forces with modern Russian weapons and equipment that have demonstrated their effectiveness in real combat conditions,\u201d he said.
\nWhile the CSTO traditionally focuses on counterterrorism and anti-drug operations, Putin stressed that its collective-defense framework is becoming increasingly important in the modern world. Ensuring the group\u2019s \u201cleadership in military technology,\u201d he said, will be one of Moscow\u2019s key objectives during its chairmanship.<\/p>\n
READ MORE: Putin plays traditional Kyrgyz lute in Bishkek (VIDEO)<\/p>\n
Russia has expanded its defense industry and accelerated innovation in areas such as drone warfare amid the conflict with Ukraine. Earlier this month, Washington renewed efforts to push Kiev toward a negotiated settlement, reportedly telling Kiev and its European backers that Russia\u2019s military advantages leave Ukraine with limited alternatives.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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