have set their minds on the unleashing of an arms race in space. But what has that to do with the genuine interests of the strengthening of peace and international security to which Washington has repeatedly declared it aspires? They try to explain away their unwillingness to halt nuclear testing by saying that the United States suffers from a nuclear-weapons "gap". That is just an excuse. They have talked in the past of a bomber gap and then a missile gap. But each time it was a deliberate deception, as Washington itself later admitted. In other words, talk of "gaps" begins when they are striving to achieve military supremacy, when there is no real desire to solve the issues of arms limitation. And yet it is just those issues on which the decisions must be taken by the political authorities and not on the basis of contrived myths about a "Soviet threat", but on the basis of the actual situation, of the genuine interests of national security, of the interests of international security. Question : How do you see the problem of verification in the context of the proposal to halt nuclear explosions? Answer : The existing scientific and technical capability here, in the United States and in other countries provides the necessary degree of certainty that a nuclear explosion, even a low-yield one, will be detected, will become known. Those who affirm the contrary know that is not how things are. Unilateral steps to halt nuclear explosions cannot, of course, totally resolve the problem of the complete and general cessation of nuclear-weapon tests. For that problem to be settled once and for all there must be an international agreement. In addition to the relevant obligations, it should also contain an appropriate system of measures - both national and international -. 
**Analysis**
The text discusses the issue of nuclear testing and the proposal to halt nuclear explosions, highlighting the need for an international agreement and the importance of verification. The language used is technical and diplomatic, indicating that the topic is related to international relations and security. The text also touches on the theme of trust and the need to move beyond "contrived myths" and "gaps" to address the issue.

**Category**
Science and technology, International relations