US not ‘straight up and above board’ on nuclear arms control - Putin

NOVO OGARYOVO, October 22. /TASS/. The US were not "straight up and above board" when it came to nuclear arms control, Russian President Vladimir Putin said, speaking at the Valdai discussion club meeting Thursday. "Don’t tell me they [the US] are all straight up and above board and have not intention to do things under the counter," the Russian leader called on the meeting attendees, naming "issues of verification in nuclear arms" as an example. "We know all too well what is going on there, they weld covers, mess with planes, and then nothing, they don’t let us there," the Russian leader said. "And we kind of keep quiet, but the specialists know what I am talking about," Putin added. He commented on the US’s position towards international agreements. "If, in case of withdrawal from the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty, the US acted openly, straightforwardly, somewhat rude, but fair, in this case [the INF Treaty], they have contrived a pretext, accused Russia of violating something, and then withdrew from the treaty," the Russian leader reminded. According to Putin, "if this was the case, if things were exactly how the American partners present it, they would have started to violate it quietly." "Who would stop them? But no, they made this step publicly, demonstratively, and that’s the end of it," Putin said. According to the Russian president, it is the US’s position "to make steps publicly." "Apparently, there must be some political goal in it, because I simply cannot see any military goal here," Putin noted. According to the president, "it would, of course, be better for the matters of verification, control to be performed by all agreeing sides, and for all agreements to be well protected by control systems.". Read more