Russia to abandon missile plans if US drops shield

Moscow is ready to abandon plans for a wholesale renewal of its nuclear missile arsenal if Washington stops deployment of a controversial missile shield, a top Russian general said on Friday.

"If the Americans give up their plans to deploy the third position area and other elements of strategic missile defence, then undoubtedly we will respond in kind," said Nikolai Solovtsov, commander of Russia's strategic missile forces, quoted by Interfax news agency.

"And an array of programmes, expensive programmes, will simply not be necessary for us," he added.

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