Russia criticized Friday a proposed 32.6-billion-dollar increase in US military spending, saying it contradicted Washington's arguments that the arms build-up was a thing of the past.
The Russian foreign ministry said in a statement that the Pentagon's request for 328.9 billion dollars in 2002 "does not correspond with Washington's public appraisals of 'radical changes' in the global situation after the end of the Cold War."
US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld told the House of Representatives' Armed Services Committee Thursday that the proposed budget increase would represent the biggest boost the Defense Department has seen since the mid-1980s.
Russia is firmly opposed to US plans to build a missile defense system, for which around eight billion dollars is set aside in the draft 2002 budget -- MOSCOW (AFP)
© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
