EU wants INF Treaty 'preserved and fully implemented'

EU countries want the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF Treaty) to be preserved and fully implemented, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, said upon arrival at the NATO Foreign Ministers’ meeting on Wednesday.

"For the European Union, it (the INF Treaty) is key to our security. It is a fundamental pillar of our security architecture in Europe, and we want to see this preserved and fully implemented," she stated.

US, NATO ultimatum
US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo said on Tuesday that the US would stop adhering to the treaty unless Russia returns to compliance with it within 60 days. Also, the NATO Foreign Ministers on Tuesday urged Russia to urgently return to full and verifiable compliance with the INF Treaty, pointing out that it is now up to Moscow to preserve the deal.

US President Donald Trump publicly announced plans to pull out of the INF Treaty on October 20 and October 22.

The first time that the US had accused Russia of violating the INF Treaty was back in July 2014. After that Washington has repeated its allegations several times, with which Moscow does not agree, striking back at Washington with counterclaims.

The INF Treaty was signed between the Soviet Union and the United States on December 8, 1987 in Washington, DC and took effect on June 1, 1988. The INF Treaty eliminated operational and non-operational medium-range (1,000-5,500 kilometers) and shorter-range (500-1,000 kilometers) ground-launched missiles.