WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – It is impossible for the United States and Russia to cooperate in the sector of arms control due to sanctions imposed against Russia’s defense enterprises, Russian Foreign Ministry’s Deputy Director of the Department for Nonproliferation and Arms Control Vladimir Leontyev told Sputnik.
“They [Washington] seemingly say that they are ready [to discuss arms control]. But how can defense issues be discussed without servicemen, amid sanctions imposed against the majority of our defense enterprises… We can speak to our US vis-a-vis, but neither they nor we are technical experts,” Leontyev said.
According to the official, technical experts are needed for talks on missile defense and Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF Treaty).