Russian President Vladimir Putin says his country will create weapons without comparison anywhere in the world.
He spoke on the heels of a U.S. decision to pull out of a decades-old nuclear arms treaty.
Putin told a meeting of top military and law enforcement officials Thursday that, “Russia does not threaten anyone and has strictly adhered to its obligations in the sphere of international security and arms control."
He said Russia’s current weapons would be modernized to protect against potential threats.
Putin spoke the same day 55,000 NATO troops in Norway began the largest military exercises since the end of the Cold War.
Russia's military buildup on its European border has long been a source of tension for neighboring countries who are wary of Russian incursions like those in Ukraine and Georgia.
Putin’s comments follow U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement he would be pulling out of the 1987 Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces treaty, which bans both countries from creating weapons with the type of range that would be used in a European nuclear conflict.
Trump said the break is due to Moscow’s violation of the agreement's terms. Putin has denied the allegation and accused the United States of violating the pact.
