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Stop arming Kiev otherwise no talks: Diplomat warns US on arms control dialogue

According to Maria Zakharova, Moscow highly appreciates the New START Treaty which she said meets the mutual interests of Russia and the US, but appropriate conditions must be in place to discuss it

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova Russian Foreign Ministry/TASS

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova

© Russian Foreign Ministry/TASS

MOSCOW, November 30. /TASS/. Russia is not going to discuss the New START Treaty with the United States as long as Washington keeps arming Ukraine, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told Sputnik radio on Wednesday.

"The United States is planning to send more weapons to the region of the conflict in which Russia has been involved. So, they will keep supplying all those arms and goad the Kiev regime into committing more bloodshed, while allocating funds for extremist activities conducted under the authority of individuals on Bankovaya Streat (where the Ukrainian presidential office is located - TASS) who are far from being rational people, while we sit down to discuss mutual security issues with them, including those in their interests?" she mused.

According to the Russian diplomat, Moscow highly appreciates the New START Treaty which she said meets the mutual interests of Russia and the US, but appropriate conditions must be in place to discuss it, she insisted.

On Monday, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced its decision to postpone a meeting of the Bilateral Consultative Commission under the Russia-US New START Treaty originally scheduled to take place in Cairo on November 29 - December 6.

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