Russia is concerned about attempts by some US politicians to exploit the rhetoric around the Open Skies Treaty in domestic political gambling, the Foreign Ministry spokesperson said

MOSCOW, March 6. /TASS/. The United States seeks to provide new capabilities to its nuclear forces, which increases the possibility of their use, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing on Friday.

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"We would like to point out that Washington is not only upgrading its nuclear forces but also seeks to provide them with new capabilities, which significantly increases the possibility of their use. Particularly concerning are the United States’ moves to expand the range of low-powered weapons, including the development and deployment of munitions designed for strategic delivery vehicles," she stated. "This clearly lowers the threshold for the use of nuclear weapons," Zakharova pointed out. According to her, Washington seems to "consider a nuclear standoff as an actual political option and is now working to create the necessary potential." Zakharova added that in order to make those destructive actions "seem more legitimate," the United States referred to Russia and China as external threats. "Unrestrained military buildup with no laws to limit it will just lead nowhere. A far more effective way to protect national security is to carry on the policy of arms control and building ties with other countries, which is what we are again calling on the US to do," the Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman emphasized. US rhetoric around Open Skies Treaty