Vladimir Putin has taken fresh aim at AUKUS and warned that the Indo-Pacific is “becoming increasingly prone to conflict” in what marks a significant ratcheting up of the Kremlin’s critiques of Australia’s plan to acquire nuclear-powered submarines, the Nightly reports.
The Kremlin has criticised AUKUS since its inception but contained its initial criticisms to concerns about nuclear proliferation, the effect on regional stability and anti-China coalitions.
But last week Russia stepped up its critiques when Mr Putin made a provocative visit to the disputed Kuril Islands, igniting a diplomatic row with neighbouring Japan. Both Japan and Russia claim the islands, which provide Russia with vital maritime access to the Pacific during winter.
Speaking on a warship, Mr Putin told the Commander of the Russian Pacific Fleet, Viktor Liina, that new military and political blocs were exacerbating the risk of conflict.
“The region is unfortunately becoming increasingly prone to conflict, with NATO seeking to gain a foothold here and the emergence of new military and political blocs. There are efforts and plans to deploy new weapons systems here, which creates threats for our country,” Mr Putin said.
In response, Mr Liina said the military and political situation in the region was tense and singled out Australia’s submarine plan as one of the causes.
“The principal drivers of heightened military and political tension are the destructive activities of Western states aimed at reconfiguring the security architecture in the Asia-Pacific region, the build‑up of their forward military presence, as well as the establishment of new Western‑controlled military and political alliances. Specifically, I refer to the AUKUS bloc and the Trilateral Pact,” he said.
The Commander’s comments about AUKUS were a direct echo of what President Putin has said in the past. The Kremlin’s first criticisms were made as he prepared to launch his illegal invasion of Ukraine and six months after former prime ministers Scott Morrison, Boris Johnson of the UK and former US president Joe Biden announced the trilateral submarine deal.
Mr Putin signed a “no-limits” pact with Chinese President Xi Jinping that stated the pair’s “serious concerns” about AUKUS.
“Russia and China believe that such actions are contrary to security in the region, could provoke an arms race and risk nuclear proliferation,” their joint statement said.
But Mr Putin’s rhetoric has hardened as his illegal war with Ukraine has ground on, and he has become increasingly dependent on China for goods that fuel his war effort.
He told the Moscow Conference on International Security that AUKUS was an “aggressive military-political union” and claimed it is a NATO plot to expand into the region.
“We cannot exclude that these efforts may pave the way to fully integrating NATO forces with the AUKUS structures as they take shape,” he said.
“We also see that the collective West is striving to expand its bloc-based system to the Asia-Pacific region, like it did with NATO in Europe. To this end, they are creating aggressive military-political unions such as AUKUS and others,” he said.
