Itongadol.- Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Israel\’s alleged nuclear weapons stockpile serves only to make the Jewish state "a target" and creates "foreign policy problems," AFP reported.
Putin\’s comments came in response to questions from reporters on the US and Russia-brokered deal to put Syria\’s chemical weapons arsenal under international supervision.
According to AFP, Putin said that Syria had developed chemical weapons "as an alternative to the nuclear weapons of Israel."
The Russian president claimed that the "the technical advantage of Israel — we need to say this directly — is such that it doesn\’t need nuclear weapons. Israel is already in a technical military sense several heads above the countries in the region."
Putin added that "nuclear weapons just make it a target. They just create foreign policy problems."
The chemical weapons deal with Syria has increased pressure on Israel to join the Nuclear Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Some 190 states have joined the NPT, whose goal is to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology. Of the world’s nuclear powers, only four have not joined the treaty. India, Pakistan and North Korea have all openly tested nuclear weapons, and Israel, with its policy of nuclear ambiguity.
International press reports say that Israel has some 200 nuclear weapons. Israel has refused to sign the NPT despite pressure from the international community. However, when it comes to the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), the country might be more flexible.