After the United States, Russia leaves a nuclear treaty signed during the Cold War Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on Saturday 2 that Russia is withdrawing from the historic treaty signed with the states

"Our American partners announced that they had suspended their participation in the agreement and we are doing the same" United Nations in 1987, on intermediate range nuclear weapons.

The decision was made after US President Donald Trump said Friday that Washington would no longer respect the agreement because of alleged violations of Moscow.

"Our American partners have announced that they have suspended their participation in the agreement and we have done the same," Putin told Russian news agencies.

Like the United States, Russia accuses the US government of not respecting INF (Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces).

The INF, negotiated by US President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev during the Cold War, banned the use of missiles with a distance of between 500 and 5,500 km. Considered historic, the compromise banned the 1,846 rockets of the Soviet Union of the time and 846 in the United States, all endowed with a nuclear capability.

INF Chief Negotiator in Moscow, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Riabkov, also warned that the end of the agreement could result in the dissolution of other state control pacts. armaments, such as the New Start . The compromise, which limits the number of nuclear warheads owned by Washington and Moscow, expires in 2021. Riabkov badured that there was "great doubt" about the aftermath of the events.

The exit process is expected to last six months

US President Donald Trump was the first to announce the departure of the treaty from Saturday, initiating a process of withdrawal that will last six months. The United States claims that Russia violated the pact after conducting tests in 2015 with the 2,000-kilometer cruise missile installed near the borders between Russia and Europe, according to Washington.

"The United States We have totally adhered to the INF Treaty for more than 30 years, but we will not continue to apply the terms, while Russia distorts its actions," said Trump in a statement.

The head of US diplomat Mike Pompeo said that his country, which officially announced its concerns about the agreement two months ago, addressed the issue of alleged violations of the treaty with Russia over 30 times.

"The violation of Russia has put millions of Europeans and Americans in great danger, the United States is at a military disadvantage and limits the chances of a better leadership. our bilateral relations. "

Europeans react [19659008] Some European leaders have expressed concern over the end of the treaty and called for a dialogue between Washington and Moscow to save the deal.

The head of European diplomacy Federica Mogherini called on both parties to preserve the compromise. "We absolutely do not want to see our continent reconverted into battlefield or where other superpowers are facing each other.This belongs to a distant history."

German Chancellor blames Moscow for disrespecting the FNI and proposes to negotiate with the Russian government. "For us, it is clear that Russia has violated the treaty, so we should talk to Russia," said German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Trump has received much criticism in the United States, where Democrats have lamented the "America First," championed by the US president. "The Trump administration risks an arms race and a reduction in international security and stability," said Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.

( With information from the AFP )
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