Vladimir Putin Reaffirmed That Unilateral Withdrawal Of USA From ABM Treaty Would Be Erroneous Move

Unilateral withdrawal of the USA from the ABM Treaty would be an erroneous move, president of Russia Vladimir Putin stated in an interview with the British newspaper The Financial Times the text of which was received by RIA Novosti from the press service of the head of state on Monday. "But if this happens we do not intend to fan up anti-American hysteria", the president went on to say. "We do not believe that this step can lead to creation of new threats to security of Russia for several reasons". First, an ABM system does not exist at the present time. Second, it is not known if it will be set up. Third, if it is set up, today Russia already has all means for overcoming any anti-missile defence, Putin emphasized. "We came out against unilateral withdrawal of the USA but not because we feared for our security but because we adhere to a different concept, different philosophy of building an international system of security", Putin stressed. We hold the view that this Treaty was a really supporting construction of the entire system of security built over the past decade, the president went on to say. For this reason we insisted on its preservation. We were ready for certain modification and asked to give us the parameters which it is proposed to modify and which hamper development of the US programme of building a NMD system. We were prepared to discuss them but nothing concrete was submitted to us. "But on the whole, as I already stressed, our American partners were entitled to unilaterally withdraw", Putin noted. We recognise this right".