"We continue uneasy, sticky talks with our U.S. and NATO partners" he said, adding that the talks serve as a touchstone which shows whether the member nations of NATO, especially the U.S., have the will to cooperate with Russia on the basis of equality and mutual respect.

He clarified that any agreement below the quality of the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty is unnecessary, stressing that Russia would neither step back even a bit from its principled stand nor compromise over this issue even at the sacrifice of national security.