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Putin Says Russia Ready to Hold Talks with US over ABM Treaty
Russia hopes to narrow its disputes with the United States over the anti-ballistic missile (ABM) treaty through dialogue and will not issue an ultimatum to Washington for this issue, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday.
"Russia hopes to continue constructive talks with the US on international security," Putin said at an Internet press conference, which was his first online conversation with the public. He said that the US unilateral withdrawal from the 1972 ABM treaty "will entail legal consequences that do not depend on Russia."
"The ABM Treaty is like an axle to which a number of agreements on international security are attached," Putin said. "If we remove this axle, those agreements will automatically fall apart, and the entire present-day security system will be destroyed," he warned.
Russia will apply the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty-II (START- II) only if the ABM treaty is being observed, Putin continued. Consequently, if the ABM treaty is violated, Russia automatically "will not have to observe the quantitative limitations in the sphere of missile defense."
Asked if Russia will cut short the talks on the limitation of strategic armaments if the U.S. continues to insist on the creation of a national missile defense system, the president responded that Russia "does not plan to give an ultimatum to anyone."
"We want to remain in the negotiating process and are counting on this," he said.
"Judging from the reaction of the new American administration, our American partners are in the same mood, which inspires a certain optimism," he added.
"I do hope that common sense and a deep understanding of national interests in the sphere of security will lead us and our American partners to a positive search and to joint end results," he said.
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