Washington faces missile defense dilemma - Russian diplomat

"It is impossible to sever the link between strategic offensive armaments and missile defense, which means the American side has a choice: either to carry on the missile defense project the way it is - without any signs of readiness to reckon with Russian concerns - in which case we will invariably have to compensate for their actions with strategic offensive armaments and ensure our security at some point," he said. 

"Or they can reach a mutually acceptable agreement with Russia in order to lift our missile defense concerns. Then Russia will not have to take steps disagreeing with the logic of limitations and reductions of strategic offensive weapons," Ryabkov said. 

Russia thinks the second option is better from all points of view. 

"This is better for everyone. Security will strengthen for the United States and Russia, funds will be saved, and the destabilizing element will be gone. We did not spend so many years elaborating New START agreements to see the Americans undermine the positive potential accumulated with difficulty in their pursuit of the illusionary strengthening of their security with global missile defense," the diplomat said. 

The New START Treaty preamble said the link between strategic offensive and defense weapons was unbreakable, Ryabkov said.