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Putin warns to prevent U.S. from changing global power balance

24 February 2012 19:03 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin warned on Friday that Russia would seek to prevent the U.S. missile defense plan from changing the global power balance, APA reports quoting Xinhua.

During his visit to Sarov Nuclear Research Center in central Russia, Putin said that the balance has prevented global conflicts after the World War II.

"This balance must be maintained as a factor of international, global stability. It is not only our national task but also our duty to the entire humankind to maintain the strategic balance of power and resources," Putin told a meeting devoted to the development of the country’s military-industrial complex.

Russia would take measures to push the U.S. to dialogue on the anti-missile defense issue, he said.

Moscow has long opposed the deployment of U.S.-led NATO missile defense facilities near its borders and wanted legally binding guarantees from the U.S. and NATO that the missile defense shield is not targeting Russia.

Meanwhile, Putin said that he hoped for cooperation with Washington in restraining the nuclear arms race.

"We shall not let the nuclear arms race to happen," Putin said, adding that Russia was against the expansion of the "nuclear club. "

However, Putin also noted that Russia needs to plan its military development for 30 to 50 years forward and stressed that Russia would not disarm unilaterally.

"We cannot disarm endlessly when some other nuclear powers arm themselves," he said.