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Decision to suspend New START was hard to make, but it had no alternative — diplomat

"In these conditions, it’s not tenable to do business [with the US] in the key, important realm of arms control as before, as usual," Sergey Ryabkov said

MOSCOW, February 22. /TASS/. Russia’s decision to suspend participation in the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty was hard to make, but it had no alternative, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said at a Federation Council meeting on Wednesday.

"The decision that has been made - to suspend the treaty - was difficult, responsible, but we believe the only possible one," he said.

"In these conditions, it’s not tenable to do business [with the US] in the key, important realm of arms control as before, as usual," the diplomat said.

On Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin in a address to the Federal Assembly said that Russia would suspend its participation in the New START, but wouldn’t withdraw from it. The head of state said that before returning to the discussion of compliance with the treaty, Russia should understand how the arsenals of not only the United States, but also other NATO nuclear powers - the UK and France - will be accounted for by the treaty.