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US-RUSSIA-MILITARY-ARMAMENT-POLITICS
Russia says INF arms treaty dead ‘at the initiative of the US’
MOSCOW, Aug 2, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Moscow on Friday announced the formal end
of a major Cold War-era nuclear arms deal, after Washington launched the
process to pull out of the INF treaty this year.
The treaty — concluded in 1987 by then US president Ronald Reagan and
Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev — limited the Cold War powers’ medium-range
missiles, both conventional and nuclear.
“On August 2, 2019, at the initiative of the US side, the treaty between
the Soviet Union and the US on the elimination of their medium-range and
shorter-range missiles… was terminated,” Russia’s foreign ministry said in
a statement.
Deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov earlier called on the United States
to implement a moratorium on deploying intermediate-range nuclear missiles,
now that the deal is dead.
“We have suggested to the US and other NATO members to consider announcing
a moratorium on the deployment of intermediate-range missiles,” Ryabkov told
the TASS news agency.
“This moratorium would be comparable to one already announced by Vladimir
Putin, saying that if the United States does not deploy this equipment in
certain regions, then Russia will also refrain from doing so,” he added.
Washington has long accused Moscow of violating the Intermediate-Range
Nuclear Forces (INF) deal, a charge Russia denies.
On Friday the US was scheduled to formally exit the deal after a months-
long withdrawal process.
Ryabkov also questioned NATO promises not to deploy nuclear missiles in
Europe.
“So far, NATO members have assured us that there are no plans regarding
the possible deployment of such nuclear equipment,” he said.
“But such assurances cannot be taken for granted… the Alliance has
repeatedly violated its own promises in the past and changed its own plans.”
BSS/AFP/BZC/1515HRS