Washington"s plans for a missile defense...
"The plans that the U.S. is currently unilaterally working on have several stages, and at the first stage we are talking about regional systems, about systems that do not damage strategic stability and create no threat for Russia"s strategic nuclear forces," Lavrov said at a news conference in Moscow.
However, he emphasized that Russia did not rule out that the plans could eventually constitute a threat.
"If our observation of the realization of these plans indicates that they are moving to the level of the creation of a strategic missile defense shield and that level is estimated by our military specialists to be creating a risk for Russia"s strategic nuclear forces, then we will have the right to use the positions included in the [new arms cut] deal," he went on.
The strategic arms pact stipulates that the number of nuclear warheads is to be reduced to 1,550 on each side, while the number of delivery vehicles must not exceed 800 on each side.