Russia to abandon WMD dismantling program

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MOSCOW, Oct. 10 (UPI) -- Russia plans to walk away from participating in a program with the United States designed to dismantle weapons of mass destruction, U.S. officials said.

Russian daily Kommerstat reported Wednesday U.S. State Department officials indicated Russia isn't interested in participating in the Cooperative Threat Reduction program that helped in the dismantling of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons after the fall of the Soviet Union.

The officials said their Russian counterparts told them recently that Moscow no longer needs the financial assistance.

The move is the latest in Moscow's re-examination of its relationship with Washington. Earlier in October, Russia barred the U.S. Agency for International Development from working in the country, RIA Novosti reported.

Last week, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the "reset" policy between Russia and the United States "cannot last forever."

The Cooperative Threat Reduction program began in 1991 and was extended in 1999 and 2006. The current terms expire in 2013. The United States reportedly spent about $8 billion on CTR programs.