Retiring Soviet ambassador Nikolai Lunkov made the remark in a television interview with Independent Televison News before returning to Moscow after a seven-year term as Soviet envoy in London.
Lunkov said President-elect Ronald Reagan's proposal to scrap the Salt II treaty was not a constructive approach.
Soviet President Leonid Brezhnev and the Soviet prime minister have recently 'expressed hope that the new American administration would take a more constructive approach to these things,' Lunkov said.
'Especially how to prevent the further spread of nuclear weapons. How to prevent this further manufacture of new types of different weapons of destruction and especially of course Salt II.
'We expect that they should ratify it,' Lunkov said. 'Without it we can't go further.'
Speaking about Poland, Lunkov said it was in the best interests of the country for the Polish people to settle their own affairs and urged 'for those in the United States of America not to meddle in Polish affairs.'
Asked if the Soviet Union might invade Poland, Lunkov evaded a direct answer but when pressed on the point he implicitly ruled it out.
'Poland is facing really acute economic problems. They are of an extremely difficult character and the Polish people can solve them _ only the Polish people,' he said.
