Kremlin regrets over 'vanishing' int'l legal base for arms control

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday that the international legal base for arms control is "vanishing."

Commenting on a bill introduced to the US Congress on ending the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) between Russia and the US, Peskov said the topic of arms control is important not only for these two countries but for the entire world.

"The last remnants of the international legal framework in this area are vanishing beneath our feet, time is shrinking like a shagreen skin. Therefore, the situation here is sad, and the responsibility for this sad situation lies entirely with Washington," Peskov said.

Asked if Moscow maintains communications with Washington regarding the issue of strategic stability, he said "there are no serious, substantive contacts."

The Kremlin spokesman announced that next week, Moscow will host the Eurasian Economic Forum and a meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council.

Peskov said Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan are invited and expected to attend these events.

About new sanctions targeting Russia's diamond industry, the official said practice shows that if something is prohibited for sale on one market, it is being sold on another.

On Russia's problems, Peskov said one of the biggest is the demographic crisis, related to historic reasons, the "demographic pits" due to wars that the country fought throughout its history.

The spokesman added that there is no panacea for solving such problems and that they can only be solved through long-term intense work, assuring that it is being carried out and will be continued.