A: Hey, did you hear anything interesting today?

B: No, what's up?

A: Well, Putin just had some strong words for NATO leaders!

B: Oh yeah? What did he say?

A: He accused them of escalating a global arms race and fabricating a narrative about Russia invading Europe.

B: Whoa, that's quite a claim! But what about the defense spending increase they're planning?

A: Exactly! Putin thinks it's just another step in this global military escalation.

B: And what did he say Russia will do in response to all this tension?

A: He said they will take appropriate measures to secure their own and their allies' safety, but also develop their armed forces as a safeguard for their independent development.

B: That sounds serious... But it looks like things got worse today too.

A: Yeah, unfortunately. Russian forces attacked Dnipro in Ukraine, killing 21 people and injuring over 300 others.

B: Oh no! The Ukrainian President called it another strike on life and wants stronger sanctions against Russia.

A: It's a tough situation... I hope things get better soon.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin has criticized NATO leaders, claiming they are escalating a global arms race.



He made the statement in a speech in Moscow on Monday, ahead of the start of the bloc's two-day summit in The Hague.



Commenting on NATO leaders' expected agreement on raising their defense spending, Putin said, "This highlights the drivers of the global military escalation and the arms race."



He also said NATO leaders had "fabricated" a narrative about Russia's potential invasion of Europe and "repeat it year after year to mislead their own populations."



He went on to say, "Amid escalating geopolitical tensions, we remain committed to taking appropriate measures to bolster the security of Russia and our allies while advancing the development of our Armed Forces as a safeguard for Russia's sovereign and independent development."



Meanwhile, Russian forces launched a massive ballistic missile attack on the eastern Ukrainian city of Dnipro on Tuesday. Local officials said the attack killed 21 people and wounded more than 300 others.



Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the strike hit homes, schools and a passenger train carrying about 500 people. He described it as "another Russian strike on life" and called for a "significant strengthening" of sanctions against Russia.