MOSCOW. Feb 2 (Interfax) - The remark by a former U.S. defense secretary that the United States needs a united Russia and a strong government to control its nuclear arsenal can be viewed as a statement of fact, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
"It seems the United States already has what it needs, i.e. a strong Russia, a united Russia in control of all nuclear weapons," Peskov told reporters.
He thus responded to a request for comment on the remark by a former U.S. defense secretary that the United States was interested in a strong Russia with a strong government to continue to control its nuclear arsenal.
"In this case, these words can be viewed as a statement of fact," he said.