Us Secretary Of State: Us Plans To Set Up National Missile Defence Not To Tell On Russian Deterrence Potential

US Secretary of the State Colin Powell stated that US plans to set up a National Missile Defence did not undermine Russian deterrence potential. Following a meeting with the Russian President, Powell stated that the US intention to create "a limited NMD system targeted against irresponsible countries with missiles equipped with nuclear warheads, which could be used as a weapon of mass destruction, does not undermine Russian deterrence potential as far as strategic nuclear forces are concerned." At the same time, the US Secretary of the State added that the present ABM Treaty was imposing certain limitations on American research, development and creation of such limited systems.