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Senior diplomat says futile to expect Russia to enter arms race

Sergey Ryabkov stressed that Russia possesses sufficient resources to guarantee its own security

MOSCOW, February 3. /TASS/. Deluded "hotheads" abroad may expect Moscow to falter and enter an arms race, but it will not happen, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said.

"If some ‘hotheads’ are under the false impression that we will falter, give in to provocations and enter an arms race – I assure you, this is not going to happen," he told Channel One.

Ryabkov emphasized that Russia possesses sufficient resources – including already deployed weapons systems – to guarantee its own security.

"The work to upgrade Russia’s nuclear arsenal is in a highly advanced stage. New systems have been developed that did not exist at the time the treaty (New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, New START - TASS) was signed. All these are well-known facts. There can be no doubt at all in this field," Ryabkov concluded.