Russia said it is able to respond adequately if the United States leaves the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF Treaty).
Head of the Russian State Duma Defense Committee Vladimir Shamanov issued the warning on Monday, but noted that Moscow should wait until Washington makes a decision on the issue.
On Saturday, the Politico news outlet reported, citing several congressmen, that the US President Donald Trump administration was considering the proposal of Congress to withdraw from the INF Treaty with Russia.
“We should wait for the decision. Without a doubt, we have an appropriate response [to the withdrawal],” Shamanov told Sputnik.
The lawmaker also stressed that none of the parties had anything to gain if Washington decided to withdraw from the treaty.
“I think it will make it worse for everyone because it will cause an attempt of the arms race, and nobody will benefit from it,” Shamanov noted.
President of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev and US President Ronald Reagan signed the INF Treaty in 1987. Russia is party to the treaty, as the Soviet Union’s successor state. The 1987 treaty prohibits the development, deployment or testing of ground-launched ballistic or cruise missiles with ranges between 300 and 3,400 miles. The treaty was implemented in 1991, with inspections continuing until 2001.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has repeatedly said that Moscow was in full compliance with the INF treaty. According to Lavrov, Moscow had its own concerns over Washington’s compliance with the INF Treaty and that the Russian side had repeatedly called on US partners to substantially discuss the most controversial points related to the agreement’s implementation.
Source: Sputnik
