Russia warned on Friday that it will be bound by no obligations if the United States quits Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty.

“Washington should proceed from the fact that if the United States withdraws from the INF Treaty, then this agreement ceases to function and all responsibility for scrapping one of the foundations of strategic stability falls on the United States”, Director of the Foreign Ministry Department for Non-Proliferation and Arms Control Vladimir Ermakov.

He noted that Washington had decided to leave the treaty in the early 2000s after the US had abandoned the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty.

Both the US and Russia have accused each other of violating the treaty: according to Washington, Moscow has to terminate the development of its 9M729 missile system or modify the weapon due to its alleged non-compliance with the treaty.

Russia has denied the allegations, also stating that Aegis Ashore systems deployed by the US in Europe pose threat to the agreement.

The INF Treaty was signed in 1987 between the Soviet Union and the United States. The agreement obligated the parties to destroy their ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles whose ranges are between 500 and 5,500 kilometers (from 311 to 3,317 miles).

Source: Sputnik