US-Russia negotiations over INF nuclear treaty fail | World



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Diplomats from both countries met at the Kremlin representation in the Swiss city on Tuesday to discuss the Cold War treaty without reaching an agreement.

US Assistant Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security, Andrea Thompson, described the meeting as "disappointing, as it is clear that Russia continues to flagrantly violate the treaty. ".

"Our message is clear: Russia must destroy its non-compliant missile system," said Thompson.

The United States also added that the US delegation would inform its allies and partners of the situation at a NATO meeting on Wednesday.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said that the United States would be "completely" responsible for a possible breakup of the treaty.

"After this contact in Geneva, we clearly see the ambition of Washington to go to the very end in its intent to destroy this agreement," Ryabkov quoted Russian news agencies as saying , adding that these negotiations in Geneva did not allow advance. "Until now, no further meetings are planned between the two countries, he added.

The INF Treaty was signed in 1987 by the last leader of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev, then by US President Ronald Reagan.

This agreement, which removes the use of a series of missiles from a range of 500 to 5,000 kilometers, puts an end to the crisis in the 1980s of the Soviet SS-20 with nuclear warheads in Eastern Europe and Pershing missiles in Western Europe.

The L & # 39; NATO and the United States accuse Moscow of violating the INF treaty with the development of a new missile system e, the 9M729, whose range, according to Washington, exceeds 500 kilometers – thus violating the text of the INF.

Russia believes that these accusations are "unfounded".

According to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, these missiles can reach European cities in minutes from Russian territory, in addition to being able to carry nuclear warheads.

On December 4, the United States gave Russia an ultimatum to accede to the treaty.

"We will suspend our bonds in 60 days, unless Russia meets its obligations in a verifiable manner," said US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo at the end of a meeting with NATO counterparts at the Alliance's headquarters in Brussels. .

The 60-day deadline corresponds to the next meeting of Defense Ministers of NATO countries on February 14 and 15, 2019.

But the threat of Washington does not seem to worry Moscow. Russian President Vladimir Putin said in mid-December that if the US withdrew from the agreement, Moscow would develop strategic missiles banned by the 1987 agreement.

"We must continue to insistently explain to the American side how counterproductive it is to try to put pressure on Russia and, in turn, the dire and serious consequences "of a US withdrawal, has explained Ryabkov. "We are willing to dialogue on the principle of equality and mutual respect, without ultimatums," he said.

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