Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday once more accused the West of upsetting the battle in Ukraine as a part of centuries-long efforts to weaken and ultimately break up Russia.

“We always considered the Ukrainian people as brotherly, and I still think so,” Putin declared whereas addressing defence chiefs in Moscow.

“What’s going on is certainly a tragedy, but it’s not a result of our policy. For centuries, our strategic adversaries have been setting the goal to disintegrate and weaken our country … viewing it as too big and posing a potential threat,” the Russian president mentioned.

Putin introduced a plan to extend Russia’s army from 1 million personnel to 1.5 million.

Speaking on the assembly Putin held with prime army brass, defence minister Sergei Shoigu mentioned the 1.5 million-member army ought to embrace 695,000 volunteer contract troopers.

Shoigu additionally declared plans to kind new army items in western Russia to counterbalance plans by Finland and Sweden to hitch Nato.

Putin ordered mobilisation of 300,000 reservists in September to beef up Russia’s forces in Ukraine.

Kremlin warns US

The Kremlin warned on Wednesday that rising the provision of US arms to Kyiv would worsen the devastating 10-month battle ignited by Russia’s unlawful invasion and “does not bode well” for embattled Ukraine.

The US will present $1.85 billion in extra army help for Ukraine, together with a switch of the Patriot Air Defence System, secretary of state Antony Blinken mentioned in an announcement on Wednesday.

The help features a $1 billion drawdown to supply Ukraine with “expanded air defence and precision-strike capabilities” and a further $850 million in safety help, Blinken mentioned.

“Weapon supplies (by the US) continue, the assortment of supplied weapons is expanding. All this, of course, leads to an aggravation of the conflict and, in fact, does not bode well for Ukraine,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov informed reporters.