MOSCOW. Feb 21 (Interfax) - As the basic precondition for Russia to reconsider its decision to suspend its participation in the Treaty with the United States on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms (New START), the U.S. must resume abiding by its obligations under the treaty and abandon its aggressive rhetoric, Russian Federation Council Deputy Chairman Konstantin Kosachyov said.
"I am not authorized to anticipate future developments, but the minimum precondition, without which nothing can be discussed at all, is the Americans' resuming the observance of their obligations under the treaty and changing the American rhetoric, which signals the intention to deal Russia a strategic defeat and use the Ukrainian Armed Forces for aiming American systems at Russian targets, including those related to maintaining strategic security and stability," Kosachyov told journalists in reply to a question from Interfax on Tuesday.
He described the U.S. steps as unacceptable and insisted that they were among the reasons that prompted Russia to suspend its participation in the treaty.
"Directly opposite actions by the American side might become some minimum point from which a return is possible," he said.