Putin defends Russia's right to sell arms

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday Moscow would continue selling arms to legitimate partners on the global market. Speaking at a meeting of governmental commission for military- technical cooperation, Putin said Moscow thoroughly estimated situation in the regions it sold arms to. He stressed it was up to Russia to select its customers. "A founded restriction for the arms shipment to a certain country could only be imposed by the UN Security Council," Putin said, adding that no one could order Russia to whom and how it might trade otherwise. Sanctions imposed by a country or a group of countries outside of the UN Security Council framework are not legally binding, Putin said in a statement published on the Kremlin website. Russia sold arms and military equipment worth 10.7 billion U.S. dollars as of Oct. 1, 2012, Putin said, adding by yearend the total export would exceed the level of 2011, which amounted to 13. 2 billion dollars.