Ryabkov said that the US administration, "seeking to demonstrate its refusal to recognize the free expression of will by the population in Crimea and the decisions adopted by us in connection with it, plans to suspend contacts even in areas where, in our opinion, the continuation of our dialogue meets the interests of the US itself."
Russian deputy FM Ryabkov on US plans to suspend missile defense cooperation: 'it does not exist'
Russia and the United States do not cooperate in missile defense issues because Washington refuses to provide Moscow with legally-binding guarantees that the US-planned global missile defense shield will not be directed against Russia, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said.
"I need to say that cooperation does not exist in this sphere," Ryabkov told Interfax on Thursday, when commenting on US officials' statements that such cooperation with Russia could be suspended.
"The American side is well aware of the fact that opportunities for such cooperation could emerge if Washington agreed to heed our demand to provide reliable and legally-binding guarantees that the global missile defense system being built by the US together with its NATO allies and certain countries in the Asian region and the Middle East will not be directed against [Russia]," he said.
"Obviously, this way of putting this question is no longer relevant today because of the U.S. policy aimed at exacerbating bilateral relations with Russia," Ryabkov said.
"Possibly, as time goes by, the American side will realize the absence of any alternative to such an approach, if certainly Washington's policy is not totally dominated by the aspiration to secure the appearance of potential in the missile defense sphere that would start to devalue our strategic nuclear deterrence potential," the high-ranking diplomat said.
Moscow to prevent US actions in missile defense sphere from weakening Russia's nuclear deterrence potential - Russian deputy FM
Moscow will do its best to guarantee that US moves in the missile defense sphere have no impact on Russia's nuclear deterrence potential, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said.
"We will do everything possible to prevent any US effort in the missile defense sphere from weakening the potential of Russian nuclear deterrence," Ryabkov told Interfax.
