START-3 could be terminated if U.S. presses ahead with European missile shield - Medvedev (Part 2)

SKOLKOVO. May 18 (Interfax) - Russia reserves the right to withdraw from the new strategic arms reduction treaty in case the United States continues pressing ahead with deploying a missile shield in Europe, President Dmitry Medvedev said.

"The new START treaty has a direct reservation that further development of missile defense would be tantamount to breaking strategic parity, and it may be suspended and even terminated," Medvedev said at a press conference on Wednesday.

"I would like to draw the attention of all of my NATO partners to this and say: We are prepared for cooperation. But we also hope that we will get guarantees that the potentials are not targeted against us," he said.