"Russia invited the United States to prolong the New START (Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms) and simultaneously get down to joint work to draft a new agreement that would take into account all factors influencing strategic stability,” Fomin said in an interview with local daily Rossiiskaya Gazeta on Sunday.
“In the light of the current political situation in the United States, we do not rule out that the US stance on this issue may change," Fomin added, while insisting that the American side has different priorities, for which reason it has shown little interest in extending the treaty that will expire on February 5, 2021.
"If our call fails to meet with support and US missiles begin to be deployed in Europe, we reserve the right to take proportionate retaliatory measures," Fomin warned.
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Moscow warned that increasing Western military activity near Russian borders may ultimately have dangerous consequences.
ReplyDeleteThis year has seen more NATO vessels and planes coming close to the country's territory.
Speaking to government newspaper Rossiyskaya Gazeta, Russia's Deputy Minister of Defense Alexander Fomin recalled some recent close calls, and accused the US and its allies of also using "aggressive rhetoric."
"In 2020, the activity of the air and naval forces (of NATO) has increased significantly, and situations that can lead to serious incidents are increasingly emerging," Fomin said, "These actions were openly provocative. The incidents were avoided only thanks to the high level of professional training of Russian pilots and sailors," RT reported.
In particular, Fomin noted that NATO had held a naval exercise on the same day as the World War II Victory Day celebrations, and that multiple flights of American planes "in the immediate vicinity of the Russian border" had been recorded.
More than 15 flights by US strategic bombers were recorded in August and September alone.