Communists Say Will Vote Against Ratification of New START
Nov 22 (Interfax) - The Communist Party faction in the State Duma intends to vote against the ratification of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty.
"We believe that this treaty is extremely unprofitable and our faction will vote against it," Leonid Kalashnikov, a member of the Communist Party faction in the State Duma, said at a press conference in the Interfax central office on Monday.
Kalashnikov, who is acting first deputy chairman of the State Duma International Affairs Committee, has sharply criticized the cancellation of the contract to supply S-300 surface-to-air missile systems to Iran.
"We have lost a reliable, loyal partner, we have lost out face and money. The UN Security Council resolution restricting the supply of weapons to Iran only applied to offensive weapons and did not in any way apply to the S-300," Kalashnikov said.
Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov told the press conference that the development of relations between Russia and NATO is not in line with Russia's interests.
"NATO is a wolf in a sheep's skin. We have 50 years' experience in relations with this aggressive bloc and we would like this issue to be discussed in detail," he said.
Kalashnikov said NATO's current position on relations with Russia is due to the need to continue the military operation in Afghanistan and a possible attack by the U.S. on Iran.
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Russia, Nuclear Issues - U.S.-Russian Relations - Russia News - Russia - Johnson's Russia List
