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Photo: Nikolai Makarov.
Russian General Staff officially admitted the nuclear threats posed by Iran and North Korea, Chief of Russian General Staff Nikolai Makarov told Russia Today, reports RIA Novosti. "The threat always exists, so we thoroughly monitor how countries develop their nuclear capabilities", Makarov said.
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Russian Military Admitted Nuclear Threats from Iran and North Korea
25.04.2012
"We analyzed the situation with Americans and came to conclusion that yeah, the threat really exists, and we agreed that missile defense should be established", added the general. As for Makarov, Russia is open to cooperation with other countries in countering such threats.
"Many countries not declaring their nuclear capabilities do really possess such arms", Makarov said. According to him, nuclear weapon constitute a special threat given that it may come to hands of extremists.
It leaked out that North Korea has nuclear weapons in 2006 when the country tested it for the first time. Since then, North Korea held another nuclear test, and early in Apr 2012 rumors appeared in the press that DPRK was about to conduct the third test explosion. Speaking of Iran, officially it does not possess nuclear weapons. However, the West has concerns that allegedly peaceful Iran's nuclear program could be implemented in order to obtain nuclear arms.
According to Interfax referred to a Russian foreign ministry's insider, Russia "keeps watching how the situation develops" in North Korea. "It [Korean peninsula] is our outskirts, so the situation there directly affects Russia's security interests", said the interviewee.
Missile threat from Iran and North Korea is one of the primary arguments the US adduces to justify deployment of missile defenses in Europe which dissatisfies Russia. Makarov said in his interview that Moscow had not agreed on that matter with Washington and once again reminded about the menace that system posed to Russia's security. "If missile defense system is needed, okay, let us build it together. But it must not be established if not required", Makarov said.
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