Putin: Russia is ready to provide its allies in Latin America, Asia and Africa with modern weapons
The Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday that Moscow values its relations with countries in Latin America, Asia and Africa, and is ready to provide its allies with modern weapons.
Putin used a speech he delivered at an arms exhibition near Moscow to boast about the capabilities of Russia’s advanced weapons and to announce its readiness to provide armament technology to countries that agree with its policies.
“We’re ready to offer our allies the latest types of weapons, from small arms to armored vehicles and artillery to warplanes and drones,” Putin said at the opening ceremony of the “Army-2022” forum near Moscow.
“Almost all of them have been used more than once in real combat operations,” Putin added.
Putin was speaking nearly six months after the start of the Russian war in Ukraine, during which Moscow suffered frequent setbacks and heavy losses.
Western military analysts say the poor performance of Russian forces and weapons in Ukraine could make Russian arms exports less attractive to potential buyers such as India, which has relied heavily on Russian military technology in the past.
On Monday, the Russian President reiterated his country’s goal to fully control the Donbas region, nearly six months after the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
During an annual military forum held near Moscow on Monday, Putin told a gathering of foreign guests that the Russian army was achieving its goals within the so-called “Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics”.
While Kyiv accuses Russia of committing war crimes and carrying out bloody occupation policies, Putin stated that “the soil of Donbas is being liberated step by step” from Ukrainian nationalists.
Putin recognized the independence of Donetsk and Lugansk last February, amid international protests, and then launched a war against Ukraine.
The forum witnessed a display of Russian tanks and missiles.
Putin praised the work of Russian arms companies in providing the Russian army with “modern weapons that are working today to achieve victory”.
