The following is an excerpt from Robert Bridge,RT | September 17, 2012 | rt.com |
Mitt Romney has painted Russia as America’s “number one geopolitical foe.” Such rhetoric may lead to an explosion in military spending on both sides if the Republican wins in November presidential elections.
Russia is seriously concerned by Romney’s anti-Russian comments, which could lead to a series of undesirable consequences, such as the rekindling of an arms race, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich said over the weekend.
“In the event that Romney wins, we may have to enlarge the defense budget,” Dvorkovich told delegates at the Russian Future session of the ninth-annual Yalta Meeting.
The Republican challenger, in an attempt to attract potential voters by slamming US President Barack Obama and his ‘reset’ efforts with Moscow, has labeled Russia as America’s “number-one geopolitical foe.”
On a separate occasion, Romney declared that “Mr. Putin will see a little less flexibility and more backbone” from the GOP nominee if he wins the White House.
In light of the Obama’s administration’s resolve to build a European missile defense system without Russia’s participation, may in Moscow wonder how a Romney presidency could be any worse for bilateral relations.
Moscow previously warned the US it risks another Cold War if it continues to unilaterally pursue missile defense. Thus far, Washington has refused to provide Moscow with a written statement that the system would never be directed towards Russian territory.
In the event that such an arms race became a reality, Dvorkovich warned that both Moscow and Washington would be forced to spend a vast amount of money. Such a scenario “would be counterproductive against the backdrop of the complex economic situation,” he said.
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