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Flickr/ Kevin H.
The Ministry of defense accused Russia of deploying land-based missiles prohibited by the Treaty on the elimination of intermediate-range nuclear forces (INF) from 1987.
Speaking at the Congress, Deputy Chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, General Paul Selva said that Russia is violating the “spirit and purpose” of the INF Treaty by deploying prohibited missiles.
“The system itself poses a risk for the majority of our facilities in Europe and we are confident that Russia deliberately (it) places to pose a threat to NATO and objects in the area of responsibility of NATO,” said Selva.
He also expressed doubt that Russia will “return to the observance of the INF Treaty”. However, he added that the United States should “look for levers of pressure on Russia to return to compliance with the INF Treaty”.
Earlier, the US accused Russia that it is developing a prohibited contract types of missiles. In particular, it was reported that this is a missile SSC-8 – surface analog of cruise missiles “Caliber-NK”.
Earlier, unnamed sources in the us administration told the New York Times about the alleged violation of INF Treaty: the article argues that Russia has deployed a division of cruise and land-based missiles of a class “earth-earth”. Director of the Department for nonproliferation and arms control, the Russian foreign Ministry Mikhail Ulyanov told RIA Novosti that all such allegations are unsubstantiated in nature.
Press Secretary of the President Dmitry Peskov, in turn, noted that “Russia was and remains committed to its international obligations, including under the provisions of the Treaty”.
The INF Treaty prohibits parties from possessing ballistic missiles, land-based and cruise missiles with a range of from 500 to 5.5 thousand kilometers. Russia and the United States periodically put forward mutual accusations of violating INF Treaty signed in 1987.