‘Russian general’s remarks run counter to Kremlin policies’

TEHRAN,April 29(MNA) – An Iranian military source said that Russian Army General Nikolai Makarov’s remarks about NATO’s missile defense system are in “obvious contradiction” to policies adopted by Russia’s high-ranking political officials. “The threat is always there, so we closely monitor the nuclear program developments of many countries,” Makarov, the chief of the General Staff, told RT television in a recent interview. “The analysis that we conducted together with the Americans confirms that, yes, there is a probability that the threat exists. And we agreed that it is necessary to create a missile defense system,” he said. The Iranian source told on Saturday, “Such remarks will undermine the security of Russia and the region,” adding, “Giving in to expansionist policies of the United States and NATO will move the region toward instability.” He also said that most military analysts believe that NATO’s missile defense system is not meant to counter missile programs of Iran and North Korea, but it is targeted at the “Russia’s strategic depth.” In addition, he said that “overnight” changes in policies of a country like Russia will create distrust.