Russia claims right to deploy nukes in Crimea
A senior Russian Foreign Ministry official has emphasized that Moscow reserves the right to deploy nuclear weapons on its territory, including stationing them in Crimea.
“Russia obviously retains the right, if needed, to deploy its nuclear weapons anywhere on its national territory, including on the Crimean Peninsula,” said Russian Foreign Ministry’s Director of the Department for Non-Proliferation and Arms Control Mikhail Ulyanov in a Monday interview with RIA Novosti.
Ulyanov’s remarks were reportedly made in reaction to recent comments by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin, who said the deployment of Russian arms in Crimea would be in violation of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
“Any activity or even signals from Russia that they are even considering deploying nuclear weapons in Crimea will be considered a grave breach of the international code of conduct. If this happens, the international community will need to act decisively,” Klimkin had said.
Elsewhere in his Monday remarks, Ulyanov criticized the US missile program, saying that it posed a major challenge to the relations between Moscow and Washington.
He also pointed to the discussions between the two rival nuclear powers on the issue of disarmament, saying that the talks are not looking positive.
“Of all the factors which are negatively affecting strategic stability, the most significant is the creation of the [US] National Missile Defense program,” said Ulyanov.
“Our position on this matter has been voiced repeatedly. We need reliable guarantees of what we are told verbally at every corner – that this system is not directed against Russia’s nuclear deterrent. But so far we are told that such guarantees cannot be written down on paper and that the system will be created with or without Russia’s backing,” he added.
Russia opposes the ballistic missile system that the United States is building in Europe with supporting contributions from its allies. The Kremlin has long suspected that the Obama administration's so-called "Phased Adaptive Approach" is aimed at undermining nuclear deterrence on the continent.
MFB/HJL/HRB
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