By empty (10/6/2003 issue of the CACI Analyst)
Speaking to journalists in Reykjavik en route to an official visit to North and South America, Sergei Ivanov outlined situations in which Moscow might carry out a preemptive military strike under the terms of its new military doctrine. Ivanov said Russia might carry out a preemptive military strike if there is a distinct, clear, and inevitable military threat to the country. Moscow might also opt for such a measure if it is threatened with reduced access to regions of the world where it has crucial economic or financial interests.
Speaking to journalists in Reykjavik en route to an official visit to North and South America, Sergei Ivanov outlined situations in which Moscow might carry out a preemptive military strike under the terms of its new military doctrine. Ivanov said Russia might carry out a preemptive military strike if there is a distinct, clear, and inevitable military threat to the country. Moscow might also opt for such a measure if it is threatened with reduced access to regions of the world where it has crucial economic or financial interests. Furthermore, Russia might use its military might within the CIS if a complex, unstable situation develops or if there is a direct threat to Russian citizens or ethnic Russians, Ivanov said. He added, however, that he sees no such threat within the CIS now and that military force would only be used if all other means, including the application of international sanctions, have been exhausted. (RFE/RL)