Russia Hardens Military Doctrine Amid NATO Standoff Over Ukraine
By Henry Meyer Dec 26, 2014 10:18 AM ET
Russia hardened its military doctrine, identifying new threats after tensions with its Cold War foe NATO increased over the conflict in Ukraine.
The revised document posted today on the Kremlin website names attempts to overthrow neighboring governments as a major threat, as well as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s buildup close to the country’s borders. The previous draft was published in 2010.
Russia also cited as threats information campaigns aimed at corrupting the Russian population, sabotage by foreign intelligence, the deployment of missile-defense components and high-precision conventional weapons, and the use of information technology for military purposes.
The new doctrine threatens to exacerbate one of Russia’s tensest post-Cold War standoffs with the U.S. and Europe, which began with the annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea peninsula in March after the ousting of pro-Kremlin President Viktor Yanukovych. That sparked a series of sanctions against Russia that have pushed its economy to the brink of recession.
NATO, at its September summit in Wales, shored up its eastern defenses as the U.S., which contributes two-thirds of the alliance’s military spending, urged European allies to pay more. The alliance agreed to rotate more troops through eastern Europe and to set up a 5,000-soldier rapid-reaction force.
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http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-12-26/russia-hardens-military-doctrine-amid-nato-standoff-over-ukraine.html
