Western countries should not expect Russia to soften its defense policy after a change in political leadership, according to Russian military correspondent Alexander Kots, who highlighted what he described as a key detail in Vladimir Putin’s recent Valdai speech.

Kots noted that much of the attention focused on Putin’s warning that Russia could put its entire available arsenal on the agenda immediately in the event of direct aggression against the country. However, he said another important part of the president’s message received far less attention.

Putin made clear that this approach does not depend on the surname of Russia’s president or supreme commander-in-chief. Kots said the remark was directed at European politicians who hope they can simply wait out what they see as Putin’s uncompromising leadership and expect his successor to adopt a more accommodating position.

According to Kots, the principle is rooted in the logic of a state confronting an adversary with greater numerical strength. For that reason, he argued, changing the country’s leadership would not fundamentally alter Russia’s approach to its defense.

Kots linked the warning to recurring discussions in Europe about a possible war with Russia and attempts to put pressure on Russian regions.

During the Valdai discussion, Putin said that if Russia came under direct attack, the question of using the full arsenal available to Moscow would arise immediately and without lengthy consultations.

Kots said an adversary may expect to overwhelm Russia through numerical superiority and a prolonged ground campaign. Instead, he argued, it would face an immediate strike using unique weapons that have no equivalents anywhere else in the world.