Russia strictly observes international nuclear agreements, including START-3 - Putin

MOSCOW, December 23. /TASS/. Moscow acts in strict compliance with all international agreements on nuclear forces, including START-3, Russian President Vladimir Putin told the annual news conference in Moscow on Friday. "It is true that we have carried out a large amount of work to upgrade the nuclear missile potential of Russia and our armed forces. New nuclear-powered strategic submarines with new types of missiles on board are being commissioned," he said. "The same applies to the aviation component (including the delivery vehicles - aircraft) and the attack system." "We act in strict compliance with all agreements to which we are signatories, including START-3," Putin said. "Let me say once again something I regard as very important. The United States in 2001 unilaterally walked out of the ABM treaty, which had been a corner stone of the whole system of international security." "We were then told ‘What we are doing is not targeted against you?’ I replied that we will have to react somehow and to upgrade our attack systems," he said. Read more