NATO will accept Russia's offer to conduct mutual inspections of each other's military bases where Aegis Ashore missile systems with Mk-41 launchers and 9M729 missiles are deployed if the alliance is really interested in de-escalation in Europe, the head of the Russian upper house's defense committee told Sputnik
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 28th October, 2020) NATO will accept Russia's offer to conduct mutual inspections of each other's military bases where Aegis Ashore missile systems with Mk-41 launchers and 9M729 missiles are deployed if the alliance is really interested in de-escalation in Europe, the head of the Russian upper house's defense committee told Sputnik.
Earlier on Monday, President Vladimir Putin put forward an arms initiative in light of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty's demise. He said that Russia was prepared to refrain from deploying 9M729 missiles to the European part of the country if NATO reciprocated. Putin also offered mutual verification measures with regard to Aegis Ashore missile systems with Mk-41 launchers at US and NATO bases in Europe and Russia's 9M729 missiles in the Kaliningrad Region.
"This is a very reasonable proposal that the other side should support if they are indeed interested in improving bilateral relations and deescalating tensions in Europe," Viktor Bondarev said.
Last year, the US unilaterally withdrew from the 1987 US-Soviet INF Treaty, which committed the sides to getting rid of all nuclear and conventional ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges of 500 to 5,500 kilometers (310 to 3,417 miles). It came after Washington and Moscow had repeatedly accused one another of violating the accord.
