Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on December 29 warned that Russia must develop offensive arms to balance against the United States’ missile defense system (MDS), and also blamed the former Cold War rival for delays in agreeing on a successor to the out-of-date Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START). Only six months into the “reset,” Putin’s defiant comments stand out from the current phase of warmer rhetoric between the two sides. And the Western press was quick to suggest that the statements could complicate a resolution on a new START. But are the comments really a substantive departure from Russia’s usual line on missile defense issues?
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