Russian spokesperson: US de facto controls France's nuclear arsenal

The nuclear arsenals of France and the United Kingdom are de facto under the control of the United States, and in this regard, the reduction of nuclear potential of Russia and the United States should be discussed taking this factor into account, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on April 20.

On April 19, French Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Anne-Claire Legendre said that Paris could join possible negotiations on strategic arms control only if Russia and the US significantly reduce their nuclear arsenals to the level of the French ones, Urdu Points reports.

"From our point of view, of course, the nuclear arsenals of both France and the United Kingdom are de facto under the control of the United States, therefore, if we talk with the US, then talking without taking into account these two arsenals is absolutely meaningless," Peskov told reporters, commenting on Legendre's statement.