Support The Moscow Times!

'U.S. Took Step to Destroy the World': Russia Responds to U.S. Suspension of INF Treaty

President Reagan and General Secretary Gorbachev signing the INF Treaty in the East Room of the White House / Wikicommons

Russian officials have pledged to revive missile production and said Moscow was ready to “respond militarily” to the United States suspending its compliance with the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced Friday that Washington was suspending its compliance with the INF Treaty on Saturday and will withdraw from the accord in six months if Moscow fails to end its alleged violations of the pact. Moscow denies violating the landmark 1987 arms control treaty, which bans either side from stationing short- and intermediate-range land-based missiles in Europe.

Here is how top Russian officials reacted to the news:

– Konstantin Kosachev, the chairman of the Federation Council’s Committee on Foreign Affairs:

“Yet another mechanism to avoid nuclear conflict has been destroyed… The U.S. has taken another step toward destroying the world.”

– Franz Klintsevich, deputy chairman of the Federation Council's Committee for Defense and Security:

“Russia will not comply with the treaty unilaterally… We’ll have to revive a number of medium- and short-range missile creation projects.”

– Dmitry Novikov, deputy chairman of the State Duma’s foreign affairs committee:

“Washington’s decision should serve as a lesson for Russia, China and other countries in building alliances and blocs in the future.”

– Former chief of the General Staff Yury Baluyevsky:

“Our country is ready to respond quickly militarily to the U.S. decision.”

Reuters contributed reporting to this article.

… we have a small favor to ask.

As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just 2. It's quick to set up, and you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.

Continue

Read more