MOSCOW. Feb 21 (Interfax) - New ground-based strategic systems have been put on combat duty in Russia, President Vladimir Putin said.
"I signed an order a week ago to put new ground-based strategic systems on combat duty. Are they going to stick their nose in there too?" Putin said in his address to the Federal Assembly on Tuesday, speaking of the impossibility of NATO inspections at Russian nuclear sites.
He described such statements of NATO as a step towards the alliance's participation in the New START treaty.
"We agree with that, please, what's more, we believe this is long overdue," Putin said.