Russia is ready to
continue talks with the United States on the INF Treaty, Peskov stressed.
SOCHI, November 20.
/TASS/. Moscow’s response to Washington's possible exit from the
Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty will be explained by the need to
maintain a global strategic balance but Moscow is ready to continue negotiations
with the US on the INF Treaty, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday.
"As for the
imminent response by the Russian Federation to the withdrawal [of the United
States] from the INF Treaty, this was stated by the President [of Russia
Vladimir Putin] and is related to the fact that the withdrawal from the INF
Treaty may disrupt the strategic balance," Peskov said.
"Correspondingly,
Russia will be obliged in the interests of peace and stability to take action
to restore this balance," the Kremlin spokesman stressed, replying to
journalists’ questions.
Putin’s spokesman did
not specify the countermeasures that Russia might take, noting that they will
be "necessary for ensuring security and observing Russia’s national
interests."
At the same time,
Peskov focused on Putin’s statement that "Russia wants and is ready to
continue talks with the United States on the INF Treaty and Russia is ready for
a dialogue."
"This is a very
important statement by the president and it can’t be ignored," the Kremlin
spokesman said.
US President Donald
Trump said on October 20 that his country would quit the INF Treaty because
Russia was allegedly in breach of that agreement. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister
Sergey Ryabkov described this as a dangerous move. Washington was also
criticized in Berlin and Beijing. In the meantime, London came out in support
of the United States and NATO placed the responsibility for Trump’s decision on
Russia, because in its opinion Moscow had apparently violated the treaty.
The INF Treaty was
signed on December 8, 1987 and took effect on June 1, 1988. It outlawed
deployed and non-deployed intermediate range (1,000-5,000 kilometers) and
shorter range (500-1,000 kilometers) ground-based missiles.
In recent years
Washington has repeatedly alleged Russia was in breach of the agreement. Moscow
emphatically dismissed the charges and countered them with its own claims over
the United States’ non-compliance.
Source: ITAR-TASS
20-11-2018
