MOSCOW
Russian President Vladimir Putin has approved a revised military doctrine which will replace the country’s defense policy adopted in July 2013.
According to a statement from the Kremlin on Friday, new military doctrine stresses the "defensive" nature of Russia's military policy, claiming that force would be authorized only when all non-violent methods have been exhausted.
The new document appears on the Kremlin's website and defines a number of potential threats to Russia, both external and internal.
The main external threat to Russia's security is said to be the NATO alliance, which Russia accuses of expanding its military infrastructure to the borders of the Federation.
The document also accuses NATO of having "territorial pretenses" against Russia and its allies and attempting to interfere in their internal affairs.
The document also contains information about "internal threats." Some examples include "terrorist" and "extremist" organizations and it warns against "activities which influence the population, especially young citizens of the country, undermining the historical, spiritual, and patriotic traditions of the defense of the fatherland."
One new feature of the revised strategy is the addition of a "non-nuclear" deterrent. According to the document, this will consist of "a complex of foreign policy, military and military-technical measures aimed at preventing aggression against the Russian Federation via non-nuclear means."
The revisions to the military doctrine were agreed upon by the Russian Security Council on 19 December and approved by Putin on Friday.
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