Rice says Russian rhetoric reprehensible
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US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Wednesday that Russia's recent rhetoric is reprehensible and unacceptable.
Rice was responding to a US lawmaker's question about Russian President Vladimir Putin's recent statement that Russia could aim nuclear missiles at Ukraine if the former Soviet republic joins NATO. Rice said the United States is ''absolutely devoted'' to Ukraine's independence. Rice also criticized Russian transfers of weapon technology to Iran. ''There certainly are concerns about Russian conventional transfers, air defense capabilities and the like,'' she said. (AP)
