MOSCOW, August 11. /TASS/. Russia will take proactive measures where the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty is concerned to protect national security, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said.
"Our actions in the INF Treaty sphere, as well as in the field of military development in general, are motivated by concern for the security of our country. We are responding to what our adversaries and opponents deem acceptable: attempts to pressure, blackmail, and dictate to Russia. We will never accept this," the senior diplomat emphasized in an interview with the Rossiya-1 TV channel.
"If the price of our response to this policy is increased tension, then so be it. Call it what you will – 'escalation,' or whatever – but we are not the ones escalating first. That's the point. There are situations when it is necessary to act preemptively and anticipate certain steps a potential adversary may take. This will certainly continue to be done," he added.
"But again, this is in order to prevent a situation where we find ourselves at a disadvantage," the deputy foreign minister concluded.