You're reading: Russia denies violating medium-range missile treaty with US

Moscow - Russia on Wednesday, July 30 denied U.S. allegations that it has been departing from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF).

“Our attention has been attracted by allegations by U.S. officials
that Russia has been violating the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces
Treaty (INF). These allegations are as uncorroborated as everything else
from the category of Washington grievances on other matters that has
recently been coming to Moscow. No proof whatsoever is being adduced,”
the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

“The problems relating to compliance with the INF are not new. Both
sides are well aware of them. They need to be handled in a routine way,
without resorting to ‘loudspeaker diplomacy,'” it said.

“Such work has been done before. What appears to us to make it even
more important is the fact that we have accumulated quite many
grievances with the U.S. in the context of the Treaty,” the ministry
said.

“Among such grievances are tests of missile defense target missiles
with characteristics similar to intermediate-range missiles and the
production by the Americans of armed drones that obviously fall under
the Treaty’s definition of ground-based cruise missiles. Recently, the
Mark 41 launch systems that the U.S. is going to station in Poland and
Romania as part of the … deployment of a global missile defense have
been an increasingly controversial issue. Such launch systems can launch
intermediate-range cruise missiles, and their ground-based versions may
be qualified as a direct violation of the INF,” the statement said.

“We have repeatedly tried to bring these concerns to the attention of
the American side. Yet, there is no desire in Washington to hear us. On
this issue, as in other disputes with us, they listen to themselves
alone. However, we are not yet losing our hope to obtain from the
American side explanations on the substance of the issues posed by
Russia and confirmation of readiness for collaboration in trying to
ensure compliance with the Treaty and making it more viable,” the
ministry said.