Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov refuted on Friday, in his comment for Sputnik, claims that Moscow had acquiesced to US conditions regarding the New START, stressing that the two countries were not even approaching any agreement
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 23rd October, 2020) Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov refuted on Friday, in his comment for Sputnik, claims that Moscow had acquiesced to US conditions regarding the New START, stressing that the two countries were not even approaching any agreement.
Earlier this week, reports emerged suggesting that Russian and US negotiators appeared to have agreed to freeze the number of nuclear warheads and extend the New START, which expires in February, for one year. On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that "nothing bad will happen" if the New START gets extended for one year, as it would give the sides extra time to find a compromise.
"If someone thinks we have caved in � while we say we are not on the threshold of a deal � I think this is some abberation of perception. I do not think it makes sense to enter disputes with these analysts, as nothing will be enough for them anyway," Ryabkov said, when asked to comment on the claims that Russia had acquiesced to the US conditions agreeing to extend the deal by one year instead of five years, and to freeze nuclear warheads.
"Even if we happen to say we are withdrawing from the deal � although personally I cannot imagine this � these people will accuse us of caving in, they could say we do not have enough will to negotiate and reach agreements," the high-ranking official explained.
