Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said that US statements that Russia's suspension of participation in the Strategic Offensive Arms Treaty (START) is invalid are untenable. This is reported by RIA Novosti.

According to the diplomat, Russia has repeatedly presented all the necessary legal justifications. The Russian side came to the conclusion that the United States grossly violated the START treaty.

“We consider such stuffing as an element of Washington’s current political propaganda campaign, the purpose of which is to force Russia to restore the START regime and preserve the opportunity for the United States to unhindered “see through” our strategic arsenal,” Ryabkov said.

He added that the United States should abandon empty fantasies about “causing Russia a strategic defeat” if Washington wants to resume interaction with Moscow under the New START.

Earlier, the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party, Leonid Slutsky, called the words of the State Department on the suspension of the START Treaty by the Russian Federation legally null and void.