Russian stance on disarmament issues rests upon national interests - Ryabkov
NEW YORK (United Nations). Jan 17 (Interfax) - It would be naive to expect Moscow to reconsider its disarmament policy, as the Russian stance rests upon national interests, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said.
"In fact, nothing can be achieved without dialogue, but it would be naive to expect Moscow to reconsider its course for some reason. This is not a time-serving policy, it is rooted in the realization of national interests of the Russian Federation," he told the press at the United Nations on Monday, commenting on the remarks of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump that the anti-Russian sanctions might be lifted in exchange for extra disarmament steps.
"Our stance [on disarmament] has been formulated clearly and in detail: these issues cannot be considered separately from a number of factors affecting strategic stability," the senior diplomat said.
"Of course, we are ready for dialogue and we are open to the discussion of any ideas in this area; however, a discussion of ideas does not mean a change in position," Ryabkov said.