ASHGABAT, 11 October (BelTA) – The fate of the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty remains uncertain, BelTA learned from President of Russia Vladimir Putin during the session of the CIS Heads of State Council in Ashgabat on 11 October.
Vladimir Putin said: “Uncertainty remains in place regarding the fate of the Treaty between the United States of America and the Russian Federation on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms, which will expire in February 2021.”
Vladimir Putin stated that the USA has yet to decide whether it will withdraw from the treaty. According to the Russian head of state, the U.S. President Administration is still in disarray: some people are in favor of extending the treaty while other ones believe America should not be tied up with these restrictions. “It creates an element of uncertainty and encourages the emerging arms race, which is very bad,” he pointed out.
Vladimir Putin said he had sent an address to many heads of state, which reads Russia does not intend to deploy medium-range and shorter-range missiles in its territory. However, since the USA has started designing them, the Russian side will also get busy.
“The USA tested a medium-range missile three months after withdrawing [from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty]. It means the country had made it a long time before the test. One cannot make such a missile within three months. It takes years. They had been working towards this goal. It is totally bad. Pentagon spokesmen have already said they intend to deploy these missiles in Asia. They've stated it publicly. They are in negotiations with Japan and South Korea. It is clear who number one target is in this case. We are saddened by the news because the missiles will be able to reach the Russian territory, too. All these factors worsen the international security situation,” the president stressed.
