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US Dismisses Putin's Threat to Upgrade Nuclear Arsenal
US Secretary of State Colin Powell has dismissed a warning by Russian President Vladimir Putin that Russia would eventually upgrade its strategic nuclear arsenal with multiple warheads if the United States deploys a missile defense system.
"I am not in charge of Russia but I don't think that's what they would do," Powell said Friday in an interview with The Associated Press.
Putin said in a three-hour interview with American correspondents that though he is buoyed by U.S. President George W. Bush's pledge that Washington and Moscow will work cooperatively in the coming months to investigate the full ramifications of Bush 's vision for a new security framework that includes missile defense, Russia is also very alert to unilateral American actions.
Putin said Russia would not threaten or try to prevent American actions, but would augment its nuclear forces without regard to treaties that now require the elimination of multiple warheads.
Powell said he was confident that Putin would not try to enhance Russia's strategic force once he takes into account the cost. He believed that Putin also will come to realize that a US missile defense is not a threat to Russia.
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