US unilateral withdrawal from ABM Treaty in 2002 created threat of disrupting strategic balance of forces

MOSCOW, December 4. /TASS/. After the United States’ unilateral withdrawal from the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty in 2002, the world was faced with the threat of disruption of the strategic balance of forces, which is dangerous not only to Russia and the world, but also to the United States itself, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday in his annual state-of-the-nation address to the Federal Assembly. “Starting from 2002, after the U.S. unilateral withdrawal from the ABM Treaty, which is an absolute cornerstone of international security, the strategic balance of forces and stability, the creation of the U.S. global missile defence system, including in Europe, has been continued persistently,” said the Russian president. According to him, this poses a threat not only to Russia’s security, but also to the entire world - just because of the possible disruption of this strategic balance of forces. “I think this is harmful for the United States as well, because it creates the dangerous illusion of invincibility,” Putin said. He said that in this situation Washington’s desire to take unilateral, often half-baked decisions and additional risks has intensified. The Russian president also said this situation is one of the most sensitive and complicated issues in the sphere of international security. Read more