US breaks nuclear weapons treaty with Russia

The United States on Friday announced its withdrawal from Russia's historic nuclear-weapons treaty with the Middle-East, a milestone of the Cold War, accusing Moscow of having violated it. The government that commanded Vladimir Putin did not take long to react: they warned that this opened the possibility of a new war on arms.

Washington said Russia has not responded to concerns over a new medium-range missile system that Western countries say would oppose the Intermediate Range Nuclear Weapons Treaty of 1987 (INF). ).

Starting on Saturday, "the United States will suspend its obligations under the INF Treaty and the withdrawal process will begin", which will be "completed in six months, unless Russia respects it again, destroying all missiles , launchers and equipment they violate the text, "said President Donald Trump in a statement.

"The United States has fully adhered to the INF Treaty for more than 30 years, but we will not be obliged to respect its terms as long as Russia misrepresents its actions," he added.

The deal, negotiated between US President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, banned the use of 500 to 5,500-kilometer missiles and put an end to the dangerous development of nuclear warheads in Europe.

US Foreign Minister Mike Pompeo said his country, which had officially announced its concerns two months ago, had addressed the issue of alleged breaches of the treaty with Russia more than 30 times.

"The violation of Russia puts millions of Europeans and Americans in great danger and seeks to disadvantage the United States militarily and jeopardizes the chances of a better direction of our bilateral relations. ", he added.

Pompeo said, however, that Washington was "ready" to continue talking to Russia "on the issue of disarmament".

"The United States hopes that we can restore our relations with Russia and change them, but it is incumbent on Russia to change its destabilizing habits, not only on this issue but on many others," he said. -he explains.

Russia warns of arms race

Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has had close ties with Trump but is heavily challenged by the US ruling clbad, previously said Washington's withdrawal from the FNI would lead to a new arms race.

Before the announcement by the United States, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov regretted the decision and told reporters that Washington had decided to break with the treaty "for a long time".

In Brussels, the leaders of the North Atlantic Treaty Alliance (NATO) issued an official note in which they fully supported the US decision.

The United States has decided to withdraw from the agreement "in response to the serious risks to Euro-Atlantic security the hidden evidence, the production and deployment of the 9M729 system by Russia," says the US. NATO in its note.

"Allies fully support" the US decision, he added.

Lithuania and Latvia – two Baltic countries concerned about the proximity of the Russian giant – also supported Washington's withdrawal from the deal.

"Treaties are important if the parties comply, if there are violations, the value of the treaty is in doubt," said Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius, who added that "the treaties are important. there was "clear evidence" that Russia was not honoring its commitments. .

However, Europeans have also expressed concern over the disappearance of the treaty.

The head of European diplomacy, Federica Mogherini, has called on both sides to preserve the treaty with "full respect".

"We absolutely do not want our continent to become a battlefield or a clash between superpowers, it belongs to a distant history," he said.

For his part, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto stressed that history had taught a country a "very clear lesson". "This lesson is that whenever there is a conflict between East and West, we are the losers in Central Europe," he said.

Fear for other treaties

Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Riabkov, Chief Negotiator for INF in Moscow, warned that the fall of the INF could also result in the dissolution of other key agreements for arms control, such as as the New Beginning.

This agreement, which limits the number of warheads held by Washington and Moscow, expires in 2021 and Riabkov said there was "great doubt" about the aftermath of the events.

The United States has not yet publicly explained how it will act when the NIF is no longer in effect.

Lt. Gen. Robert Ashley, director of the US Defense Intelligence Agency, testified this week in Congress that Russia would probably take "symmetrical" action against Washington "to move forward with new capabilities. "

In the midst of tensions with Russia, US defense authorities have targeted China's growing military spending and its increased presence in disputed waters of Asia.

US authorities have stated that about 95% of Chinese ballistic and cruise missiles, which are at the heart of Beijing's defense strategy, would violate the NIF if China met its conditions.

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