Moscow: Russia on Monday threatened to walk
out of a key nuclear arms cut treaty if the US continued to
deploy in Europe the missile defence shield, which is seen by
Moscow as a challenge to its atomic deterrence.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov
underlined that further deployment of the US missile defence
system in Europe gives Russia the right to withdraw from the
bilateral New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) inked on
April 8.
Ryabkov told lawmakers that Moscow is disappointed
over Washington's denial to give legal guarantees that the US
missile defence system will not target Russia.
"We are disappointed with the reaction of Washington;
this is a negative reaction," he said while speaking before
the experts' council of the State Duma (Lower House).
Ryabkov underlined that Russia will have to take
responsive measures if the US and NATO develop their missile
defence shield without taking Moscow's opinion into account.
"In this situation, we will have to take the necessary
measures to restore the disrupted balance of power," Ryabkov
said.
"START may become a hostage of the so-called US
European Phased Adaptive Approach (EPAA)," Ryabkov was quoted
as saying by Interfax.
He reminded that Moscow has repeatedly warned its
partners that if the scale of the US missile defence system
creates a threat to Russia's strategic nuclear forces, Russia
has the right to withdraw from the agreement.
That would be considered "an exceptional circumstance"
mentioned in Article 14 of the New START.
The New START, which was signed by US President Barack
Obama and his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev in Prague,
is seen as one of the outstanding achievements of their
'reset' relationship.
On Saturday, Medvedev sent letters to the heads of
Russia-NATO Council member states in which he reaffirmed
Moscow's readiness to contribute to maintaining strategic
stability and security by creating a joint missile defence
system in Europe on the principles of equality.
Medvedev confirmed Russia's readiness - voiced at the
Russia-NATO Council's Lisbon summit in November 2010 to take a
share of responsibility for maintaining strategic stability
and security, including through the creation of a joint
missile defence system in Europe.
He underlined that the system could only be truly
efficient and viable if Russia participates in the project as
an equal member.
The Russian President stressed the need for guarantees
that the shield being deployed in Europe will not undermine
strategic stability and will not be aimed against one of the
sides.
Almost half-a-year on after Moscow was officially
invited to participate in the missile defence programme; the
sides have not managed to iron out differences in their views
on the planned system.
Moscow said it was ready to assume protection of its
sector in Europe from a missile threat in the framework of the
so-called "sectoral" approach put forward by Medvedev under
which Europe would be divided into sectors and each side -
Russia and the Western partners - would defend their sector of
responsibility.
Moscow has also warned that it will retaliate by
taking military steps if the West ends up building its own
shield.
NATO and the United States insist that the shield
would defend NATO members against missiles from North Korea
and Iran and would not be directed at Russia.
PTI
First Published: Tuesday, May 17, 2011, 00:44