Putin Denounces US Plans of Creating Missile Defense SystemsRussian President Vladimir Putin has criticized the US plans of creating a national missile defense system (NMD) and deploying a theater missile defense system (TMD) in Northeast Asia, saying such actions could spur an arms race, especially in the Asia-Pacific region.Putin made the remarks before his upcoming visit to Vietnam, scheduled for March 1-2, in an interview with the Vietnamese newspaper Nhan Dan, said the presidential press service Tuesday. Working to ensure strategic stability is an important aspect of Russia's policies in the Asia-Pacific region, said Putin, warning that the increasing U.S. desire to deploy the NMD and TMD, which involves the United States, Japan and China's Taiwan province, could lead to an arms race around the world, particularly in the Asia-Pacific. Speaking on Russia-Vietnam relations, the president said cooperation between the two countries had reached the level of strategic partnership. Though some difficulties have arisen in recent years, the two countries have managed to preserve and further develop cooperation in all key directions, primarily in the field of economy, he added. |
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