MOSCOW, January 26 Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said, that in order to continue the dialogue on arms control with the United States, it is necessary to agree with the West on the principles of coexistence that minimize the potential for conflict.
The diplomat noted that the dialogue turned out to be frozen as a result of the actions of the United States, which faced Russia's rebuff to the West in Ukraine. «As a result of Washington's actions, arms control has become a hostage to the general deep degradation of our bilateral relations,» Ryabkov said. it is impossible to conduct constructive and fruitful business with Washington on arms control as usual.
«This, of course, does not mean that we are abandoning arms control as such,» Ryabkov pointed out.
br>The text of the interview posted on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs states that, according to the diplomat, «this sphere cannot exist in isolation from military-political and geostrategic realities.» He noted that in order to make viable decisions in this area, it will be necessary to agree with the West on the parameters and principles of coexistence that would ensure the minimization of conflict potential. At the same time, arms control agreements with the United States must be included in a more “healthy” general political and military-strategic context than now, the diplomat explained.
Ryabkov added that any such agreements should be based on the principles of equality and strict parity, work to improve national security. «No unilateral concessions are allowed here,» he concluded.