From Russia Today:   Russia’s Chief of General Staff says Moscow is being pushed into a new arms race, although it has repeatedly stressed that it does not want this.

In his speech at an annual meeting with foreign military representatives on Wednesday, General Nikolai Makarov noted that at last year’s NATO-Russia summit in Lisbon, President Dmitry Medvedev said Russia could take part in Europe’s own missile defense system, but this suggestion was rejected. Moscow then offered another option – if NATO countries wanted to build their own defense system, they could simply ensure that Russia falls outside its effective radius, and the effective radius of similar Russian weapons would then remain within the country’s borders. The second plan was also rejected, Russia’s military chief said at the Moscow meeting.

“We are ready for other options, but no one is suggesting anything. We hear nothing but empty statements that the missile defense systems in Europe are of no danger to Russia’s strategic nuclear forces,” Makarov stressed.

The general noted that a number of analysts in the US and Europe have proved that the existing components of European missile defense are already affecting Russia’s nuclear potential. . . .

“Instead of trust, we are getting suspicion and mistrust in return. Europe will not benefit from this,” he added.  

From the Voice of Russia:  Nikolai Makarov said that the elements of the US ABM system that are currently being deployed in Europe already pose a threat to the Russian Strategic Nuclear Forces.

Russia does not need an arms race, but is being pushed to joining it, Makarov said.  (photo: AP)

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