Powell Comments On US Withdrawal From ABM Treaty

In an interview with the British newspaper, the Daily Telegraph, US Secretary of State Colin Powell has admitted to being somewhat disappointed by the USA's unilateral withdrawal from the 1972 ABN Treaty. In the interview, Powell says that he had always thought that it would be better if the USA could find a way to solve the most difficult issues. However, he stressed that this had not been possible in regard to the ABM Treaty. In his opinion, Moscow is satisfied with the prospect of deep cuts in nuclear arms, despite its unhappiness with Washington move Powell believes that if one looks beyond Afghanistan and Iraq, then it is possible to see great possibilities in US relations with Russia and China. He highly appraised the regular contacts with Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov and their daily telephone conversations, which are dedicated to discussing important issues.