The U.S. won’t win the next arms race against Moscow, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said.

“If the U.S. expects to win another arms race … then the Americans are mistaken,” Ryabkov said in an interview with Russian state-run daily Izvestia, published Wednesday. “We will not give in to provocations, which are typical of American policy toward Russia, but we will guarantee our security.”

Despite its isolation on the international stage following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the Kremlin has retained some allies who have continued to boost its arsenal.

Iran has supplied Russia with Shahed drones, while North Korea has shipped vast amounts of ammunitions — reportedly over a million shells. POLITICO has also revealed that Beijing has chipped in with weapons and military equipment.

Russia has also been pulling out of arms treaties, including the New START Treaty with the U.S. and the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE).

Speaking to Izvestia, Ryabkov said there are currently no plans to replace the New START Treaty.

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The Informant via POLITICO