MOSCOW, February 6. /TASS/. Washington is laying its own fault at Russia’s door when it accuses it of violating the provisions of the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said on Monday.
"As usual, Washington is shifting the blame, accusing us now of neglecting our obligations under the START Treaty. But we are not rejecting the treaty, we remain committed to it. We are in full compliance with the central provisions on numerical limits for delivery vehicles and warheads. We have always done so and will continue to do so," he told reporters on Monday.
The Russian side continues to work "on other provisions of the treaty, including those concerning information exchange within its framework," Ryabkov noted." "We expect the American side to take similar steps in this respect, demonstrating in practice that the US is ready to adhere to this document," the senior diplomat added.
"If you carefully read the preamble of the treaty, you will see a number of provisions, starting with the indivisibility of security, stipulation to conduct business as partners, and interrelation between strategic offensive and strategic defensive armaments," Ryabkov went on to say. "Before the start of the special military operation, all these provisions had essentially become the subject of de facto denial by the American side, given the hostile policy towards Russia that Washington has pursued in recent years."