Moscow blasts Washington for blocking nuclear disarmament

Russia on Tuesday criticized the United States for blocking the process of nuclear disarmament and accelerating its military buildup near Russia.

"We note with regret that the lack of progress on nuclear disarmament is the result of a destructive and even openly hostile line of the Obama administration with regard to Russia," Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

Promoting the disarmament process has been hindered by reinforced U.S. military buildup near Russian borders, including the deployment of a missile defense system in Eastern Europe, she added.

The current U.S. administration has launched the most ambitious modernization of the country's nuclear arsenal since the end of the Cold War with estimated costs of around 350 billion U.S. dollars over the next 10 years, said the spokeswoman.

This indicates that Washington is "obsessed with military planning and construction directed against Russia," she said.

The spokeswoman cited various examples of Washington's attempts to impede nuclear disarmament, such as delaying the ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, which was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1996, and carrying out joint nuclear missions with non-nuclear NATO countries in violation of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Despite the unfavorable atmosphere, Zakharova said, Russia is still willing to continue substantive discussions on strategic matters with the United States if Washington is "guided by the fundamental principles of equality, mutual respect of interests and undiminished security of other states." Endi