俄罗斯国防部长谢尔盖·绍伊古表示，如果美国的外交政策不那么激进，美国的“巨额”军事预算可能会削减。
在接受俄罗斯报纸采访时莫斯科夫斯基共青团员绍伊古周日发表文章称，俄罗斯武装部队更关心的是国防，而不是武力投射，并将优先部署武器，以与美国军方公平竞争。
俄罗斯总统弗拉基米尔·普京(Vladimir Putin)监督了国家军事预算的大幅增长，寻求实现武装部队现代化，并成为军事技术领域的世界领导者。2018年，中国军费开支约为614亿美元，位居世界第六，尽管仍远远落后于美国的6490亿美元。下图，来自Statista，显示了不同国家的相对军费开支。
但是绍伊古认为，俄罗斯的军费开支与该国的外交政策目标相称。“美国在私人军事承包商和航空母舰上花费了大量资金，”他告诉记者莫斯科夫斯基共青团员。“考虑到我们不打算攻击任何人，俄罗斯真的需要五到十个航空母舰攻击小组吗？”他问道。
相反，国防部长表示，俄罗斯将投资于“如果我们的国家受到攻击，我们可以用来对付敌人航母战斗群的手段”。它们成本低得多，效率也更高。”
绍伊古认为，美国庞大的军事预算——在唐纳德·特朗普总统的领导下获得了进一步的恩惠——正在助长全球灾难性的冲突。"他们去的哪个国家“带来了民主”，民主繁荣了吗？"他问道。
“那是伊拉克、阿富汗还是利比亚？美国介入后，人们当然可以忘记主权和独立。”
俄罗斯官员一贯批评美国和西方对外国的军事干预。然而，克里姆林宫自己也指挥了几次针对其邻国和对手的军事和混合战役。
莫斯科一再干涉邻国的内政，试图维持俄罗斯的势力范围。在格鲁吉亚和乌克兰，最值得注意的是，这采取了军事行动的形式，导致数千人死亡。
俄罗斯军队也深深卷入了叙利亚正在进行的支持巴沙尔·阿萨德总统的战争。普京在2015年派遣部队支持独裁者，尽管俄罗斯政府认为这一部署是合法的，因为其部队是受到阿萨德邀请的。俄罗斯军队被指控犯有各种各样的罪行战争罪包括对平民目标的空袭。
绍伊古说:“我们的西方同事喜欢指责俄罗斯发动‘混合战争’或其他什么。”。“好吧，我说西方的[是进行真正混合战争的那个。美国现在即将把阿富汗变成一片废墟，与此同时，他们正努力搅动委内瑞拉的局势——当然都是为了“民主的胜利”。"
这张档案照片显示，美国哈里·S·杜鲁门号于2018年10月8日停泊在英国朴茨茅斯附近的索伦特海峡
RUSSIAN DEFENSE CHIEF SAYS U.S. COULD CUT MILITARY BUDGET IF IT STOPPED ATTACKING OTHER NATIONS
Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu has suggested that the "huge" U.S. military budget could be cut if American foreign policy was less aggressive.
In an interview with Russian newspaper Moskovsky Komsomolets published on Sunday, Shoigu said Russian armed forces were more concerned with defense of the country rather than force projection, and would prioritize weapons to level the playing field with the U.S. military.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has overseen a significant increase in the nation's military budget, seeking to modernize the armed forces and become a world leader in military technology. The country now has the sixth highest military expenditure in the world at some $61.4 billion in 2018, though it still lags far behind the U.S.'s $649 billion. The below chart, from Statista, shows the relative military spending of various nations.
But Shoigu argued that Russian military spending is proportionate to the country's foreign policy goals. "The U.S. spends huge amounts of money on private military contractors, on aircraft carriers," he told the Moskovsky Komsomolets. "Does Russia really need five to ten aircraft carrier strike groups, considering that we do not intend to attack anyone?" he asked.
Instead, the defense chief said Russia would be investing in "the means we could use against the enemy's carrier strike groups should our country come under attack. They are far less costly and more efficient."
Shoigu argued that the enormous U.S. military budget—given a further boon under President Donald Trump—was helping to fuel disastrous conflicts worldwide. "In which of the nations they went 'to bring democracy' did democracy flourish?" he asked.
"Was that Iraq, Afghanistan or Libya? And one certainly can forget about sovereignty and independence after American involvement."
Russian officials have been consistently critical of U.S. and Western military interventions in foreign nations. However, the Kremlin has itself directed several military and hybrid campaigns against its neighbors and rivals.
Moscow has repeatedly meddled in the domestic affairs of its neighboring nations in an attempt to maintain a Russian sphere of influence. In Georgia and Ukraine, most notably, this has taken the form of military action, which has left thousands dead.
Russian forces have also become deeply involved in the ongoing war in Syria in support of President Bashar al-Assad. Putin sent forces to support the dictator in 2015, though the Russian government argues the deployment is legitimate as its forces were invited by al-Assad. Russian troops have been accused of a variety of war crimes, including air strikes against civilian targets.
"Our Western colleagues love to accuse Russia of waging 'hybrid wars' or whatever," Shoigu said. "Well, I say [the] West is the one conducting actual hybrid warfare. The US now is about to leave Afghanistan in half-ruins and at the same time they work hard to stir things in Venezuela—all for the 'triumph of democracy' of course."
This file photo shows the USS Harry S. Truman anchored in The Solent on October 8, 2018 near Portsmouth, U.K.
