Russia is concerned about US moves in development of missiles that violate the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty as it aggravates the global security situation, President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday
HELSINKI (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 21st August, 2019) Russia is concerned about US moves in development of missiles that violate the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty as it aggravates the global security situation, President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday."I can say that we are disappointed with what we see. Of course, the tests of a medium-range ground-based missile, which, naturally, violates the agreement on medium-range and shorter-range missiles, aggravates the global security situation in general and in Europe in particular," Putin said at a press conference following talks with Finnish President Sauli Niinisto in Helsinki.
The Russian president pointed out that launches of these missiles can be carried out from launchers that are already located in Romania and expected to be located in the near future in Poland. He added that he was not sure that Washington would inform its European partners about what software they have in these systems.
"For us, this means that a new threat is emerging, to which we must respond accordingly ... We will now take appropriate steps in response to these actions, a symmetric response," Putin stressed.
The Russian leader, however, urged an open dialogue on issues of strategic stability.
"We certainly need a dialogue on these issues. There is no such dialogue yet ... We have already made proposals to start this dialogue. We are ready to discuss this subject, with the Europeans, with the Americans, but Russia's security will be reliably safeguarded," Putin said.
