Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed today, Tuesday, that Western countries are planning to merge the forces of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization "NATO" with the forces of the "OKUS" group that includes Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States, indicating that the countries of the alliance will continue to build and modernize their offensive capabilities.

In a speech delivered at the Eleventh Moscow Conference on International Security, Putin said that the United States of America is striving to reformulate the system of interaction among states that has developed in the Asia-Pacific region.

It is noteworthy that Australia, America and Britain announced in September 2021 a strategic security partnership called "OKUS", which focuses on building an Australian nuclear submarine fleet by the end of the 2030s.

Spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Fan Fenbing, had previously criticized the "OKUS" partnership, questioning its countries' declaration of their intention to abide by the standards of non-proliferation of nuclear weapons. / End

Source: National Iraqi News Agency