(CNSNews.com) – Following the United States’ lead, Russia will suspend participation in the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, President Vladimir Putin said at the weekend, giving his defense minister the go-ahead to pursue new land-based intermediate-range missile options.
Putin told his foreign and defense ministers not to initiate any further disarmament talks with the U.S. until Washington was “ready to engage in equal and meaningful dialogue,” since the U.S. has responded to such initiatives in recent years by finding “pretexts to further dismantle the existing international security architecture.”
He said, however, that Russia would not deploy those new missiles in Europe or elsewhere unless the U.S. does the same.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday gave formal notice that the U.S. will exit the Cold War-era treaty in six months’ time, unless Russia returns to compliance.
