Concerns Raised by the US and Germany Over Putin's Remarks on New Russian Weapons

Donald Trump, the President of the United States, and Angela Merkel, the Chancellor of Germany, expressed concern during a phone call regarding the statements made by Russian President Vladimir Putin about "invincible new weapons." According to a statement released by the German Chancellor's office on Friday, March 1, the leaders of the two countries "expressed concern over Putin's recent remarks about the production of weapons and the negative impact of this action on international arms control efforts." One day earlier, during his annual address to the Federal Assembly of Russia, Putin spoke about the new weapons of his country, describing some of them as "invincible" and "untraceable." During the Russian President's speech, which primarily focused on introducing the new weapons, videos and animations were shown depicting new missiles and their virtual launch towards points in the Atlantic Ocean and the East Coast of the United States. Hours after Putin's remarks, American officials accused Moscow of disregarding Cold War treaties and agreements by producing new weapons. According to Agence France-Presse, Steffen Seibert, spokesperson for Ms. Merkel, stated that the German government is "concerned about the overall security policy of Russia." Mr. Seibert said this encompasses a wide range of issues: "from the blatant violation of international laws in the annexation of Crimea to threatening actions against neighbors and the deliberate disregard for arms control agreements." Russian officials have not yet responded to the remarks made by German and American officials. According to the German Chancellor's office, the leaders of the US and Germany also discussed the Syrian war, particularly the crisis in Eastern Ghouta.