Medvedev: Nuclear arms an important deterrent

Russia will continue to keep its nuclear weapons as a deterrent, President Dmitry Medvedev said Friday, as talks on a new arms control talks treaty continued with the United States.

Atomic weapons are Russia's guarantee of independence, the Kremlin leader was quoted as saying by the news agency Itar-Tass, adding there were no plans to expand the nuclear arsenal.

Russia drew criticism from the West last month when it unveiled a new military doctrine that regulated the use of nuclear weapons and defined potential security threats to Russia, DPA reported.

One such danger was former members of the Soviet-led Warsaw Pact jointing the Western military alliance, NATO, the document said.

The president accused neighbour Georgia, with whom Moscow fought a brief war in 2008, of rearming itself with the help of unnamed foreign suppliers.

Russia emerged victor from the August 2008 conflict, which led to Georgia losing control over the breakaway provinces of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

The president said a planned agreement with the United States on reducing strategic offensive weapons was nearing completion.

The two sides are due to meet again March 9 on a successor to the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START 1) that expired in December 2009, news agencies reported in Moscow.