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US looks for excuses to shirk non-deployment of weapons in space — Lavrov

The Russian foreign minister recalled how Washington, under far-fetched pretexts, withdrew from treaties on the anti-ballistic missile defense, on Intermediate-and shorter-range missiles, and on Open Skies

ANTALYA, March 1. /TASS/. The United States is trying to find handy arguments to shirk the conclusion of possible agreements on the non-deployment of weapons in outer space, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at a diplomatic forum in Antalya.

"Surely, the Americans are accumulating extra arguments with the aim to avoid concluding any agreement on the non-deployment of weapons in space," he said.

To confirm his opinion Lavrov recalled how the United States, under far-fetched pretexts, withdrew from treaties on the anti-ballistic missile defense, on Intermediate-and shorter-range missiles, and on Open Skies.

"Russian President [Vladimir Putin] responded very clearly in his message yesterday to all speculations on this score that this is just nonsense, as he put it, and that those behind this warmongering hysteria should be aware of their responsibility," Lavrov pointed out. "We very much hope that the population of these countries understands what their elected representatives are playing with."

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Foreign policy Sergey Lavrov United States

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