U.S. confirms its commitment to withdrawing from INF Treaty: Russian FM

World
Europe

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said that Washington, through bilateral channels at a high political level, confirmed to Russia that the decision to withdraw from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty was final, Sputnik reported.

"Washington stated publicly in October that it would withdraw from the treaty. Through bilateral channels, we received a confirmation at a high political level that this decision was final and was not an invitation to dialogue," Ryabkov said, according to reports.

In an interview with the Kommersant newspaper, Ryabkov said the U.S. has not shown any specific evidence of Russia's violation of provisions of the INF Treaty.

Ryabkov also stressed that Moscow has not received a response from Washington to the proposal to discuss disagreements on the terms of compliance with the INF Treaty at the level of military, Russian media reported.

Russia will have to take additional measures to boost its security if the U.S. withdraws from the INF Treaty, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at an extended meeting of the Russian Defense Ministry board on Tuesday.

For a long time, the U.S. has been using unsubstantiated accusations that Russia had violated its obligations under the treaty as a pretext to withdraw from it unilaterally, thus violating the treaty itself, Putin said.

He agreed that the INF Treaty did not involve other countries which have medium and shorter-range missiles.

"But what prevents us from starting negotiations on their accession to the current agreement, or starting to discuss the parameters of a new treaty?" Putin said.

According to Putin, it will not be difficult for Russia, if necessary, to create appropriate land-based systems as a response to the U.S. withdrawal from the INF.

However, Russia is always open to any proposals and initiatives that lead to the strengthening of universal security including the prevention of a new arms race in the interests not only of Russia, but of the United States and the whole world, Putin said.

(Cover: Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov speaks during a news briefing in the main building of Foreign Ministry in Moscow, December 15, 2008. /Reuters Photo)

(With inputs from agencies)