Russia developing systems to counter US missile system: Putin
Russian President Vladimir Putin says Moscow is working on weapons systems to counter the US's so-called anti-missile shield.
Putin made the remarks at a meeting in the southwestern city of Sochi on Tuesday to discuss the development of the country's defense sector.
"We have repeatedly said that Russia will take all necessary retaliatory steps to strengthen its strategic nuclear forces capabilities. We will also work on missile defense systems. But at the first stage as we've said many times before we will work on assault systems able to counter any anti-missile systems," he said.
Washington is trying to conceal its real objective behind the enlargement of its so-called anti-missile shield across Europe, citing alleged threats posed by North Korea and Iran, the Russian president added.
The purported threats by Pyongyang and Tehran “only camouflage the true plans, and their (the US) true goal is to neutralize the strategic nuclear potential of other nuclear states,” he noted.
Putin further emphasized that the US claims come at a time that the issue of Iran has been "settled and relevant agreements have been signed."
He was referring to the July agreement between Iran and the P5+1 countries – the United States, Britain, France, China and Russia plus Germany – over Tehran’s nuclear program in the Austrian city of Vienna.
According to the agreement, dubbed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the Islamic Republic will accept restrictions on its nuclear program in return for removal of sanctions imposed on Tehran by the US and the European Union.
The Kremlin has constantly protested the expansion of the so-called US anti-missile system by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization along Russia's borders in East Europe, calling it a direct threat to Moscow.
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