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Russia blames US for leading arms race, says India's ASAT test in 'self-defence' 

WION Web Team
New Delhi, Delhi, IndiaUpdated: Mar 29, 2019, 11:19 AM IST
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Anti-Sat Weapon: Mission Shakti. (Representative Image) Photograph:(IANS)

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''We have to state that this action of India has been largely the result of the substantially degraded situation in the field of arms control,'' Russia said in a statement. 

Russia on Friday slammed Washington for leading the arms race even as it justified India's ASAT missile project saying ''India's test is in self-defence''. 

''We noted the test of anti-satellite weapons conducted by India on March 27 and we have to state that this action of India has been largely the result of the substantially degraded situation in the field of arms control,'' Russia said in a statement. 

Russia has repeatedly warned that the destructive actions of the United States to undermine the entire architecture of international security and strategic stability, including unilateral and unlimited development of the US global anti-missile defence systems, as well as the reluctance to abandon plans for the weaponization of outer space, the statement added. 

''We urge Washington to take a responsible stand, come to senses and drop the insane, and most importantly - absolutely unrealizable - the idea of universal military domination. It is still possible to stop the arms race unfolding in various regions of the world,'' the statement further said. 

Russia, for its part, intends to continue to make every necessary effort to prevent an arms race in outer space.