Putin warns of new arms race with US

Vladivostok (Russia) - Putin said Moscow had urged the United States to de-escalate a spiralling arms race between the former Cold War foes.

President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Russia would produce missiles that were banned under a landmark Cold-War era nuclear pact that ended last month, but that Moscow would not deploy them unless the United States did so first.
Speaking at an economic forum in Russia's Far East, Putin said Moscow had urged the United States to de-escalate a spiralling arms race between the former Cold War foes, but that Washington had not responded.
The Russian leader said he was concerned by US talk of deploying missiles in Japan and South Korea, a deployment he said would cover parts of Russian territory.
Tensions over nuclear arms control have been rising after Washington formally pulled out of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) pact last month accusing Russia of violating it, allegations Moscow denied. Last month the United States tested a conventionally-configured cruise missile that hit a target more than 500km away, a test that would have been prohibited under the INF.