Russia accuses U.S. of violating Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty
The Russian Foreign Ministry has released a statement claiming that the United States provided knowingly incorrect information about the alleged implementation of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF Treaty), and that the deployment of missile defense complexes in Romania and Poland capable of carrying Tomahawk missiles is a gross violation of obligations under this treaty.
"Washington has knowingly given incorrect information about its ‘fulfillment’ of INF obligations. For years, the U.S. has simply ignored Russia's serious concerns directly related to the U.S. implementation of the Treaty on the elimination of intermediate and shorter-range missiles," the department’s commentary says. The statement was released in connection with the publication of the U.S. State Department’s progress report on compliance by states with agreements in the field of arms control and non-proliferation.
"The U.S. has deployed a missile defense system on its base in Romania, and plans to deploy ground-based Aegis Ashore anti-missile systems in Poland, which include vertical launch systems similar to the Mk-41 universal installations capable of launching Tomahawk medium-range cruise missiles,” stated the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation. “The indisputable fact is that this is the grossest breach of the INF Treaty”.
"As for our concern over the deployment of U.S. missile launchers on land, after the first time we voiced it in 2014, the U.S., instead of even trying to solve this problem, in response, launched a public campaign based on the absolutely unfounded accusation that Russia is in violation of the INF Treaty: allegedly, our country produces and tests ground-based cruise missiles forbidden under the Treaty," added in the diplomatic mission.
The Russian Foreign Ministry stressed that Washington did not provide any evidence of Russia's violation of the INF Treaty, and called the information previously provided by the American side "fragmentary signals."
As summarized by the Department, "There is serious concern that representatives of a variety of U.S. agencies will use this ‘factology’ as a pretext for the promotion of another campaign for the possible application of ‘retaliatory measures’ against Russia."
It was previously reported that the United States believes that Russia has secretly deployed a division of ground-to-surface ground-based cruise missiles, thereby violating the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty.
According to sources, Russia currently has two divisions of such missiles: one of them is based in the Kapustin Yar test site.
Last autumn, the United States accused Russia of violating the same treaty and for the first time in 16 years demanded the convening of a Special Verification Commission.
It was then reported that Moscow had advanced enough in the development of a new medium-range missile, that it could soon put it into service.