Kremlin comments on US decision to quit INF treaty

The Kremlin believes that by quitting the INF Treaty the United States is actually triggering an arms race, Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday, adding that in this context Moscow would mull over what should be done to maintain Russia’s national security.

"This is a very dangerous intention. In fact, it declares an intention to start an arms race and to build up military potential," Peskov told the media, adding that this would make the world an unsafer place.

"As you know - we have said so at different levels and the president [Vladimir Putin] said this, too - that in the context of such statements we will certainly give thought to our national interests and Russia’s national security first and foremost," Peskov stressed.

About Putin’s talks with visiting White House National Security Adviser John Bolton on Tuesday Peskov said, "As far as we understand, the US side has made a decision and it will formalize the process of withdrawing from this treaty [INF Treaty] in the near future."

On October 20, US President Donald Trump said that the United States would quit the treaty because Russia had allegedly violated it.

The INF Treaty was concluded on December 8, 1987 and took effect on June 1, 1988. It applied to deployed and non-deployed ground-based missiles of intermediate range (1,000-5,000 kilometers) and shorter range (500-1,000 kilometers). In recent years, Washington has repeatedly charged Russia with violating the treaty. Moscow strongly dismissed the accusations and addressed the United States with its own claims over Washington’s non-compliance.