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TEXT-Putin speech on U.S. withdrawal from ABM treaty

MOSCOW (Reuters) - The following is the text of a televised statement by Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday, following the U.S. withdrawal from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty with Russia. The translation is by Reuters.

The U.S. administration announced today they will withdraw within six months from the 1972 ABM treaty. The treaty indeed gives each of the sides the right to withdraw under exclusive circumstances.

The U.S. leadership spoke of this several times and such a step was not unexpected for us. However, we think such a step is mistaken.

As is well known, Russia and the United States, unlike other nuclear powers, have for a long time possessed an effective means to overcome missile defenses. Therefore I fully believe that the decision taken by the president of the United States does not pose a threat to the national security of the Russian Federation.

Our country did not agree on a common withdrawal from the ABM treaty, as repeatedly proposed by the United States, and did everything it could to preserve this treaty.

I continue to consider, even today, that such a position is correct and well-founded. Russia first of all cared about preserving and strengthening international legal foundations in the field of disarmament and nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

The ABM treaty is one of the cornerstones of the legal system in this sphere. And this system was created by common efforts over the last decade.

We are convinced that the development of the situation in the modern world persistently dictates a definite logic of action.

Today, as the world faces new threats, we cannot allow a legal vacuum in the sphere of strategic stability. We cannot undermine the regime of nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

I think that the present level of bilateral cooperation between the United States and Russia should not only be preserved, but also be used for quickly working out new frameworks of strategic cooperation.

The formalization of agreements reached on further radical, irreversible and controlled reduction of strategic weapons is a top priority, together with the problems of anti-missile defense. In our opinion, (the strategic weapons should be reduced) to a level of 1,500 to 2,200 warheads for each side.

Finally, I want to say that Russia will strictly follow its principled policy, aimed at strengthening strategic stability and international security in world affairs.

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