MOSCOW: Russia is fully ready to respond to threats with force, President Vladimir Putin said at a meeting of the Russian Security Council....
MOSCOW: Russia is fully ready to respond to threats with force, President Vladimir Putin said at a meeting of the Russian Security Council. He also noted that Russia is prepared to continue observing the core tenets of the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) for one year after it expires. TASS has compiled the key statements made by the president.
Strategic stability
The situation in the field of strategic stability "continues to deteriorate."
This trend stems from a whole host of negative factors that "provoke the aggravation of existing strategic risks and the emergence of new ones."
The West’s destructive actions have "significantly undermined the foundation of constructive relations and practical cooperation between nuclear powers."
The system of agreements between Russia and the US on nuclear and strategic defensive weapons "has been almost entirely dismantled."
The destructive actions of the West are aimed at "undermining global parity, at gaining, trying to gain, absolute, overwhelming superiority."
Russia "prefers and prioritizes political and diplomatic methods of maintaining international peace based on the principles of equal rights, indivisible security, and mutual respect for interests."
Russia ready for threats
Russia is prepared to respond to any strategic threats "not with words but with military and technological measures."
Russia is confident in the "reliability and effectiveness" of its deterrent forces.
Russia "is not interested in further escalating tensions or fueling an arms race."
New START Treaty
The expiration of the New START Treaty in 2026 will mark the end of the last agreement on direct restrictions on missile capabilities: "A complete rejection of the legacy of this agreement would be, in many respects, a misguided and short-sighted step, which, in our opinion, would also have a negative impact on the objectives of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons."
Russia would like to preserve the status quo established by the New START Treaty "to avoid provoking a further strategic arms race and to ensure an appropriate level of predictability and restraint."
Russia's continued adherence to the treaty's limits depends on "if the United States does the same and makes no moves that undermine or violate the existing balance of deterrent capabilities."
After the treaty’s expiration, Russia is ready to continue "adhering to the core quantitative restrictions" for one year.
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