All news

Too early for US to discuss arms control with Russia — Foreign Ministry

Maria Zakharova underlined that US-made weapons had already begun to surface on the black markets of the European Union

MOSCOW, March 20. /TASS/. It is too early for the United States to discuss arms control matters with Russia, because it does not control even its supplies to Kiev, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has told a news briefing.

"Let us put it in very simple terms: how can we discuss arms control issues with a country that cannot find out where it has sent its weapons in helping the Kiev regime," Zakharova said, commenting on Washington's proposal to Moscow and Beijing to enter into arms control talks without preconditions.

"They have a commission working in Ukraine now, which cannot find out where the armaments and the money with which these armaments were supposed to be purchased in support of [Ukrainian President Vladimir] Zelensky have gone. Do you see my point? May they first get the knack of keeping their own affairs in order," Zakharova said.

She stressed that US-made weapons had already begun to surface on the black markets of the European Union.

"They have already reached the Middle East conflict zone. Even American journalists cannot ignore this," she added.

Zakharova reiterated that Russia was ready to discuss security and stability issues only in one package, with a special emphasis on those aspects that directly affect the interests of Russia's security.

"So far we have been offered to conduct a dialogue exclusively on the terms of the United States and only on those issues that are of interest to Washington," Zakharova explained.