In his Address to the Federal Council, President Medvedev warned that Russia would continue to ensure the security of its citizens.
But he added: “We will definitely not allow ourselves to be drawn into an arms race, but we are forced to take this into account.” Medvedev emphasised that Russia faces military challenges such as “the construction of a global missile defense system, the surrounding of Russia with military bases, unrestrained NATO expansion and other 'gifts'.” He also revealed that Russia has cancelled plans to take three strategic missile regiments out of service in the central part of the country, in response to U.S. missile shield plans for Europe. “We earlier planned to remove three missile regiments in Kozelsk [Kaluga Region] from combat duty. I have made a decision to cancel these plans,” he said. In addition to these measures, Russia could deploy Iskander short-range theatre quasiballistic missile systems in its Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad as a response to the U.S. plans to deploy IBM interceptor missile systems in Poland. “An Iskander missile system will be deployed in the Kaliningrad Region if there is a need to counter the anti-ballistic missile system in Europe,” promised Medvedev.