WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 21st October, 2020) The United States seeks to build previously banned intermediate range missiles for both Europe and Asia in response to capabilities deployed there by Russia and China respectively, Secretary of State Mark Esper said on Tuesday.
"The Chinese have built an extensive array, well over 1,000 missiles, intermediate range ballistic missiles in the Pacific and the Russians have too... And we recognize this, as we did it in NATO last year. We are committed to making sure we build similar capabilities for both theaters," Esper said, speaking at the Atlantic Council think tank.
He also called for improving missile defenses against "those types of systems and others."
Last year, the US formally withdrew from INF Treaty, which banned it and Russia from having ground-launched nuclear and conventional ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges of 500 to 5,000 kilometers. Both countries had for years accused each other of violating the 1987 pact.
