MOSCOW. July 16 (Interfax) - NATO remains a key threat to Russia's national security, and increasing the alliance's defense budget would bolster its capability, Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu said on Wednesday.
"It should be remembered that NATO is still one of the key threats to the Russian Federation's national security," Shoigu said in an interview published in Kommersant.
According to official information, the aggregate number of personnel in the armed forces of the NATO member states is over 4 million people, Shoigu said. "The bloc possesses over 50,000 tanks and armored fighting vehicles, over 7,000 warplanes, and over 750 warships," he said.
"This significant increase in the defense budget will only reinforce this capability," Shoigu said.