MOSCOW. Dec 24 (Interfax-AVN) - "The fact of the U.S. withdrawal from the ABM Treaty as such will not influence" relations between Russia and the United States, President Vladimir Putin said when replying to questions of Russian citizens in a live telecast on the ORT and RTR channels on Monday.
That "does not directly endanger the national security of Russia," Putin said.
Putin said, however, that he "does not welcome" the decision of Washington and "regards it as a mistake."
"The decision is related not only to Russia. To a certain degree, it is a new positioning of the United States in the world, a certain new phase in changing the quality of U.S. foreign policy: the secession from accords legalized by international agreements and treaties," Putin said.
"Russia will not do anything to darken Russian-American relations," the president said.
"Naturally, Russia will stand up for its national interests," Putin said.
"The quality of future relations between Russia and the United States depends both on Russia and America," Putin said. "Everything that has been done recently inspires hope for a positive development of our relations."
"There has been such an interest on the part of the American administration lately," Putin said.
The United States is a leading trade and economic partner of Russia, Putin said. "The potential of our mutual trade and cooperation is huge and, therefore, very important for Russia," he noted.