Putin demands Russia’s nuclear weapons be enhanced

Putin also made a veiled swipe at Turkey and again called for the United States to cooperate with him to fight terrorists.

“They will discuss ongoing efforts to achieve a political transition in Syria and related efforts to degrade and destroy ISIL”, State Department spokesman Mark Toner said in Paris on Friday, using an acronym for the Daesh terrorist group.

Putin’s comments came during a meeting with Russian Defense Ministry officials.

“Right now several of its units numbering more than 5,000 people as well as regular forces are conducting an offensive against terrorists in the provinces of Homs, Hama, Aleppo and Raqa”, Putin claimed. “Apart from that, we offer them air support, as we support the Syria army helping them with weapons, munitions and materiel”.

His remarks were delivered just two weeks after a Turkish F-16 fighter jet shot down a Russian Su-24 fighter-bomber when it allegedly infringed on Turkish airspace, and appeared to be directed at Ankara – which Putin has since accused of aiding the Islamic State group in Syria.

Putin did not mention Turkey by name in his speech, but did urge his military to respond in full force to any “further provocations”.

“I order you to act as tough as possible”, he told a defence meeting. “Any targets threatening Russian Armed Forces group or our ground-based infrastructure are to be destroyed immediately”, Putin added.

Russian Federation began its air campaign in Syria on September 30.

Moscow has also introduced a slew of economic sanctions, including a ban on sales of tour packages to Turkey, an important trade partner and the main destination for Russian tourists.

President Vladimir Putin said that a Russian military action in Syria is aimed at protecting Russia from extremists based there.

Putin named “strengthening of the combat potential of strategic nuclear forces and the implementation of space defense programs” as a key priority. This is not the most important thing.

Disagreement over which Syrian opposition groups should take part in the peace process, and a list of terrorist groups that would be excluded, is holding up the December 18 talks, said Vitaly Churkin, Russia’s envoy to the United Nations, according to state news service RIA Novosti. Our actions there are not dictated by some unclear, abstract geopolitical interests.

Shoigu, who was speaking during President Vladimir Putin’s meeting with top military brass, said that the navy received two new nuclear-powered submarines equipped with intercontinental ballistic missiles, two general-purpose submarines and eight surface warships so far this year.