BRUSSELS (Sputnik) – NATO has no plans to deploy new nuclear missiles in Europe and the alliance calls on Russia to maintain a constructive dialogue with the United States regarding the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF), NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Monday.
“NATO has no intention to deploy new nuclear missiles in Europe. But as an Alliance, we are committed to the safety and the security of all Allies. We must not allow arms control treaties to be violated with impunity. Because that undermines the trust in arms control in general. So we call on Russia to ensure compliance, and to return to constructive dialogue with the United States,” Stoltenberg said at a conference in Germany.
The statement was made after in October, US President Donald Trump said that Washington intended to leave the INF Treaty, accusing Russia of violating it numerous times. The Kremlin, in its turn, rejected the accusations, noting that Russia would be forced to take measures to ensure its security if the treaty was terminated by the United States.
The INF Treaty was signed in December 1987 by the United States and the Soviet Union. It prohibited either country from possessing, producing or flight-testing ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles with a range of 500 to 5,500 kilometers (311 to 3,418 miles) and their launchers.
The United States and Russia have repeatedly accused each other of violating the INF Treaty. Moscow, in particular, stated that the United States was deploying launchers for Tomahawk missiles in Romania and Poland, which was prohibited by the agreement.
The Russian party has also pointed to the fact that Washington was developing combat drones and financing the research on the development of a ground-launched cruise missile. Meanwhile, the Russian authorities have stressed on numerous occasions that Moscow strictly complied with the obligations arising from the treaty.
Sourse: sputniknews.com
