Putin says Russia favors a global nuclear ban
Russian President Vladimir Putin says that a global ban on nuclear weapons can be achieved in the future.
Putin said Thursday at the Valdai forum for international policy experts that total nuclear disarmament is a possibility that Russia would welcome. He said Russia would "want it and will be striving to achieve that."
Putin noted that new precision weapons now under development could be just as devastating as nuclear weapons. He said Russia is also working on such weapons.
The comments contrast with earlier statements by Putin and other Russian leaders, who have underlined that a global ban on nuclear weapons is unrealistic.
