OREANDA-NEWS  Russia's allies are the army, navy, and Aerospace Forces of the country's Armed Forces. This statement was made by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in an interview with the NTV channel.

"We see the situation as it is. It once again confirms that no matter what international treaties (...) in the field of security are, no matter with whom such treaties are signed, we still have the army, navy and now the Aerospace Forces as our main allies," the diplomat said.

Lavrov cited Emperor Alexander III's statement about Russia's main allies in response to a question about dialogue with the United States in the field of strategic weapons and stressed that Moscow would rely primarily on the combat capability of the country's armed forces. The minister added that the state of strategic weapons of the Russian Armed Forces and the readiness of the country's leadership to give an "absolutely unacceptable response" to opponents in the event of a threat to sovereignty remain the foundations of nuclear deterrence.

Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Chinese President Xi Jinping is a reliable friend and stable partner of the Russian Federation. He also added that it is the relations between Russia and China that are an essential factor for stability in the world.