“When the moratorium was announced, it was made clear that it only applied to deployments and did not mention the suspension of (research and development) activities,” RIA News Agency quoted Foreign Minister Sergei Riabaf in an interview as reporting the state-run Rossia-1 broadcasting station.
“So this time it was used to develop the right system and build a fairly substantial arsenal in this area. As I understand it, we own it now,” Leah said, saying Lyabakov.
Earlier this month, Russia said it was lifting up what is known as a unilateral moratorium in its deployment of mid-range missiles, calling it a forced response to moves by the US and its allies.
The ground-based short- and medium-range treaties signed by the Soviet Union and the United States in 1987 were then seen as signs of ease tensions between rival superpowers. But it was clear as the relationship deteriorated over time.
The United States withdrew from the treaty in 2019 during Donald Trump’s first presidency, citing allegations of violations that Russia denied.
rhm/