Russia Concerned About Situation in Disarmament, Non-Proliferation - Putin

BUENOS AIRES (Sputnik) - Russia is alarmed by the current situation in the area of non-proliferation and disarmament, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday.

"The situation in the area of non-proliferation and disarmament is alarming. The US possible withdrawal from the INF Treaty, ambiguity in its position on the START Treaty pose risks of an uncontrolled arms race," Putin said at a BRICS meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Argentina.

READ MORE: North Korea Rejects Unilateral Disarmament Amid Lack of Trust in US — FM

The annual G20 international summit started earlier in the day with world leaders gathering in Buenos Aires to discuss the most important international economic and financial issues. The forum is mainly focused on coordinating policies between the states in order to achieve economic stability and financial growth in the world while preventing global financial crises.

Putin's statement was made in the light of US plans to withdraw from the INF Treaty, which bans both the United States and Russia from the possession of ground-based ballistic missiles with a range of 500 to 5,000 kilometres (300 to 3,400 miles). The US has accused Russia of violating the treaty.

READ MORE: US Will Address INF Treaty Withdrawal at NATO Summit — Reports

The Russian side, in turn, has repeatedly stressed that their country strictly complied with the obligations outlined in the treaty. Apart from that, Moscow accused Washington in the violation of the agreement as well, explaining that the United States was deploying launchers for Tomahawk missiles in Romania and Poland, something which is prohibited by the deal. Russia has also pointed to the fact that Washington is developing combat drones and financing research on the development of a ground-launched cruise missile.

In one of the latest statements on the issue, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov emphasised that Russia and the United States had the largest nuclear potentials and thus bear a special responsibility to maintain global security.

READ MORE: Moscow Reiterates Its Position on INF Treaty Amid Uncertain US Commitment

Demands for Unilateral Concessions From North Korea May Derail Disarmament Accords

As the Russian president stated further, demands for unilateral concessions from North Korea in the form of ultimatum may undermine the agreements reached on this country's nuclear disarmament, so it is important to ease sanctions against Pyongyang.

"It’s good that there have been advances in resolving the situation on the Korean Peninsula, but demands for unilateral concessions from Pyongyang in the form of ultimatum may disrupt the agreements reached, therefore it is important to gradually ease the sanctions regime against this country in response to North Korea’s steps towards disarmament," the Russian president said.