Russia has appropriated $2.1 billion in additional 2009 funding for various defense activities, including efforts to counter missile defenses the United States plans to deploy in Europe, Bloomberg reported (see GSN, Nov. 18).
Moscow chose to provide the new funds following the military conflict with Georgia, a former Soviet republic now aligned with the United States, news media quoted Russian Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov as saying.
“Irrespective of the economic situation, it will continue to rise,” he said in reference to Russian defense funding. “There is an objective need to speed up further the rearmament of our army and navy.”
The Bush administration has sought to field 10 missile interceptors in Poland and a radar base in the Czech Republic. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said in November that his government would place short-range Iskander missiles along the borders of Poland and Lithuania if Washington moves forward with its plan.
Some of the extra defense money would be used to upgrade Iskander missiles, Bloomberg reported (see GSN, Nov. 5; Henry Meyer, Bloomberg, Dec. 6).