BEIJING, February 3. /TASS/. Reviving the Russia-US dialogue on strategic stability would be impossible without a drastic change to Washington’s foreign policy toward Moscow, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said at a meeting with reporters at the Russian embassy in China.
Moscow would be ready to respond appropriately if the United States decides to send weapons to Greenland, he added.
TASS has compiled key statements from the senior Russian diplomat.
On Russia-US dialogue and situation around New START
It would be impossible to revive the strategic security dialogue between Russia and the United States unless Washington embraces a radical change to its foreign policy course toward Moscow, Ryabkov said: "There are currently no preconditions for resuming a meaningful dialogue with the US on strategic stability. Significant reforms are required: improvements in the US' overall approach to its relations with us."
Russia will not initiate any demarches to the US ahead of the expiration of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START): "We completed everything necessary in a timely manner, and they had ample time to consider it. The lack of a response is also a response," Ryabkov argued.
International security
Russia and China agree that the collapse of the global strategic security system started with the US’ unilateral actions: "We agree with our Chinese friends that the main reason for this situation — the dilapidation of the previous [strategic security] situation and the absence of a replacement — lies in unilateral actions by the United States," the diplomat said.
Japan’s militarization push
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s policy to remilitarize her country will only weaken its security: "I don’t know why the Japanese are doing so — do they really believe that this is the way to strengthen their security?," Ryabkov asked rhetorically. "I believe the opposite will happen. However, it’s not easy for this logic to assert itself," he added.
The deployment of US intermediate-range missiles to Japan will inevitably lead to compensatory military and technical measures by Russia: "We keep making demarches to the Japanese, warning them that the deployment of certain weapons, including ground-based intermediate-range systems, will inevitably result in us taking compensatory military and technical measures," the Russian diplomat warned.
Situation around Greenland
Russia is ready to respond adequately if the US moves to send weapons to Greenland, Ryabkov said: "If they opt to pump some weapons systems to the region or deploy certain elements of their Golden Dome concept there, it will be a situation that would require military and technical compensatory measures, and our specialists will be quite ready to take them. There can be no doubt about it," he emphasized.
Situation around Iran
The latest US offer to Iran amounts to an ultimatum, as Washington has stopped looking for compromises when it comes to its foreign policy, according to Ryabkov: "In my view, what has been proposed amounts to an ultimatum to Tehran. <…> I am not sure that the word ‘compromise’ can be found in present-day Washington’s vocabulary," he concluded.