MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 10th September, 2021) The US position on the need to include non-strategic nuclear weapons in future agreements with Russia on strategic stability, in the form in which Washington is now promoting it, is unacceptable for Moscow, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said.
"We would like, of course, to specify the US position. In particular, on limiting medium-range launch vehicles. Russian proposals on this issue have been put forward for a long time, they remain on the table. I think that there is a basis for a certain discussion here," Ryabkov said in an interview with the Kommersant newspaper.
Speaking about the US intention to include all nuclear warheads, including non-strategic nuclear weapons, in future agreements, Ryabkov explained that Moscow believes that "despite all the importance of warheads as such, priority should be given to delivery means, that is, carriers."
"The position on non-strategic nuclear weapons in the form in which the Americans are promoting it is unacceptable for us. We need to start with something else. And in general, the prospects for a conversation on this topic are more than vague," Ryabkov added.
He also noted that other US wishes concerning the coverage of all new types of nuclear delivery systems for intercontinental missiles, as well as the intention to preserve all restrictions imposed on Russian strategic nuclear forces after the expiration of the New START "still look rather fragmentary."
"From these three components it is difficult to derive a 'security equation' that suits both sides, in favor of the development of which we, as you know, consistently advocate. We have different priorities. Although I cannot say that there is nothing in the trinomial you mentioned that would be of interest to us," the deputy minister said.
According to Ryabkov, "the United States cannot understand in any way: the difference in the geography of our countries (but not only in it) is so fundamental that attempts to draw parallels between the situation in which the United States itself is and in which we find ourselves in the context of non-strategic nuclear weapons � it's just a road to nowhere. "
"This is an absolutely far-fetched artificial statement of the question. So we are not ready to discuss this topic. We need to look for some other approaches," he concluded.
