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MOSCOW – The Russian Foreign Ministry on Sunday condemned Washington's decision to withdraw from the Mid-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, saying the decision amounted to "blackmail" and "very dangerous", according to the report. official Russian news agency TASS.
"We condemn the constant attempts to obtain concessions from Russia through blackmail, particularly in the context of such an important issue for international security in the field of nuclear weapons. [and] for the maintenance of strategic stability, "said Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Rybakov, quoted by the news agency.
On Saturday, President Donald Trump declared that he would withdraw the 1987 treaty on the INF treaty, claiming that Russia "violated the agreement" and raised the possibility of developing a new set of weapons .
"They have been raping her for many years," Trump said after a campaign rally in Nevada. "And we will not let them break a nuclear deal, go out and make weapons without doing anything."
Russian President Vladimir Putin has not yet commented on Washington's announcement, but Russia has denied violating the treaty, drafted by Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev, which prohibits the use of rockets within range intermediate and short range, as well as testing, the new ground missiles.
Russia is developing a missile system known as 9M729, although Moscow declares itself fully in line with the pact.
Ryabkov told the state-run news agency RIA Novosti that Moscow had repeatedly said in Washington that "Americans have no reason to accuse Russia of violating this treaty".
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is expected to meet US Security Council adviser John Bolton in Moscow on Monday, according to RIA Novosti.
Konstantin Kosachev, Chairman of the Committee on International Affairs of the Council of the Russian Federation, has written
humanity was facing "total chaos in the field of nuclear weapons" and warned that the cancellation of the INF Treaty could trigger a war.
"The Americans are looking for any possibility of destroying the system of agreements on the balance of nuclear forces in the developed world during the Cold War years," Kosachev wrote. "The United States no longer needs a balanced balance of power. The Americans are seeking unilateral military superiority in the area of nuclear and conventional weapons in order to impose their will and interests on the world. "
Mr Kosachev called on the United Nations Security Council to convene a session to discuss what he described as a "critical" situation.
Earlier this month, US Ambassador to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Kay Bailey Hutchison, caused a sensation by declaring that Washington could choose to "suppress" the new Russian missiles. "They are warned," she said.
On Saturday, Mr. Trump said, "We are the ones who stayed in the agreement and we respected that agreement. But Russia unfortunately did not respect the agreement. So, we will end the agreement and we will withdraw. "
The Russian Embassy in Washington did not respond to a request for comment.
The statements come as National Security Adviser John Bolton travels to Russia next week for meetings.
Bolton will meet with his counterpart in charge of national security in Moscow with Russian defense and foreign ministers, a senior official said.
– Alex Leary and Peter Nicholas contributed to this article.
Write to Ann M. Simmons at [email protected]
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