Russia not budging on arms reduction

MOSCOW, June 5 (UPI) -- Russia won't cut its nuclear arsenal until the controversy over U.S. missile defense plans for Europe is resolved, a Russia military official said Friday.

Gen. Nikolai Makarov, chief of the general staff, says there are no plans to reduce his country's nuclear arsenal, the Russian news agency RIA Novosti reported.

"We have left the missile forces practically unchanged," said Makarov. "As long as the situation in the world, including with the U.S. missile shield plans, remain unclear, we will not alter our nuclear arsenal."

Russia opposes former President George W. Bush's plan to deploy interceptor missiles in Poland and a radar tracking device in the Czech Republic.

Russian NATO envoy Dmitry Rogozin said Thursday he hopes the Obama administration will decide to abandon the Bush plan before President Obama visits Moscow next month.

"The leading American scientists voiced skepticism over the missile shield, everybody says it is not beneficial for the U.S. either from a political or military-technical standpoint," said Rogozin.