Russia Can Resume Work on Missiles After Suspension of Compliance With INF Treaty -Volodin
After enacting the bill on Russia's suspension of compliance with the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) with the United States, Russia will have an opportunity to develop relevant missiles, Vyacheslav Volodin, the speaker of the lower house of the Russian parliament, said on Thursday
Earlier in the day, Volodin said that Russian President Vladimir Putin had submitted the relevant bill to the State Duma. Under the bill, the president is granted the right to make decisions on the INF Treaty reactivation.
"After the decision is made, Russia has the opportunity to return to research in this area and develop these missiles, realizing that we are not bound by any commitments," Volodin told reporters.
Volodin also called on European nations to draw relevant conclusions about US motives and actions with regard to international security.
US President Donald Trump announced in October that his country intended to withdraw from the INF Treaty over Russia's alleged violations of the agreement, which bans all ground-launched missiles, conventional or nuclear, with ranges of 310 to 3,400 miles. Moscow has refuted the accusations, claiming that Washington itself is breaching the terms of the deal.
On February 2, the United States formally suspended its obligations under the INF Treaty and triggered the six-month withdrawal process. Washington said it would terminate this procedure if Russia agreed to be compliant with the pact. Moscow responded by suspending its participation in the treaty as well.