World Bulletin / News Desk

Moscow considers the deployment of the anti-ballistic missile system by the U.S. in South Korea as a "threat", Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday.

"We think about how we will respond to the threats that the U.S. creates in the Korean Peninsula. We perceive this as a threat. We are thinking on how to neutralize these [U.S. threats]," Putin told foreign media on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.

Putin said the U.S. deployment of anti-ballistic missile system triggers new arms race.

He added building up Russian forces in southern Kuril islands was a response to its neighbors' actions.

Putin believed that the demilitarization of southern Kuril islands is "possible".

"But, the demilitarization of some islands is not enough. We need to think about reducing this tension in the whole region," he added.