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NATO sent to the member countries of the Alliance a confidential document, which lists response options in the event of a violation by Russia of the terms of the Treaty on the elimination of intermediate-range and shorter-range nuclear forces (INF). About this newspaper “Süddeutsche Zeitung”, citing a source.
According to the publication, the document under the heading ” What would happen if…” lists the 39 possible ways of “containment” of Russia. Among them — a more intensive strategy of nuclear deterrence, the installation of new early warning systems and strengthening anti-submarine defense.
In addition, it is proposed to involve more actively in Europe, the aircraft B-2 and B-52, and enhance the operational readiness of deployed in Europe squadrons of bombers capable of carrying nuclear weapons, the article says.
According to the newspaper, the authors of the document urge to start negotiations with Russia. They also oppose the United States denounced the INF Treaty, and plunged into the design of their intermediate-range and shorter-range. The Alliance believes that it “could aggravate anti-American sentiment”.
While new sanctions against Moscow because of the INF Treaty ” is strictly not welcome,” the newspaper writes.
A NATO spokesman in response to the request of the newspaper has not denied and has not confirmed the existence of the specified document, but said that the Alliance is an ongoing debate about the observance of the INF 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. Moscow and Washington have periodically put forward mutual accusations of breach of this agreement, signed in 1987.
Earlier, several media outlets reported that the U.S. administration estimates received from Congress a proposal for the country’s withdrawal from the INF Treaty. At the same time, the special assistant to the U.S. President and senior Director for non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction in the national security Council, the White house Christopher Ford told RIA Novosti that the United States hope to maintain the contract and considered an important dialogue with Moscow on strategic stability. Republican Congressman from California Dana Rohrabacher, in turn, called the proposal to withdraw from the agreement “nonsense”.
The Russian foreign Ministry earlier expressed concern the use of baseless data for the agreement as a pretext for a campaign about possible retaliatory measures against Russia. The head of the Ministry Sergey Lavrov said that the Russian authorities have repeatedly reaffirmed the commitment to obligations under the INF and ” any wrongdoing on our part.” He also noted that “the United States claim otherwise, but provide no specific information that could be checked in order to clarify the situation”. The Minister drew attention to the fact that Moscow “has very serious questions to US about some “liberties” with the implementation of the Treaty by the Americans themselves.