Speaking at the Russian Defence Ministry on 17 March, Medvedev said: "Despite the current financial difficulties, Russia has never had more favourable conditions to create modern and highly efficient armed forces." He outlined a number of factors that underpinned the need for change: NATO's "military infrastructure moving close to the Russian border"; a serious potential for conflict in some areas of the world; the existence of threats stemming from localised crises; and the threat of international terrorism. Medvedev's depiction of a NATO threat appears to contrast with recent developments in the relationship between the Atlantic Alliance and Moscow, which had appeared to be closer than at any point since Russia's conflict with Georgia in August 2008.
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