The Russians have reacted very strongly to Britain’s decision to increase the size of its nuclear stockpile. Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov called it a serious blow to the very concept of arms control. “London’s new strategy regarding nuclear stockpiles is unmotivated, politically harmful, and erodes global security, while also undermining the unity of the five recognised nuclear-weapon states vis-a-vis arms control,” he told Sputnik News.
At the Kremlin, spokesman Dmitri Peskov charged that the decision potentially harms global stability. “We find it very regretful that Britain has selected the path of increasing the number of warheads. This decision harms international stability and strategic security,” Peskov said. He stressed that “some ephemeral threat allegedly coming from Russia was used as an excuse [for this decision].”
