Top Democrats on the US House of Representatives Foreign Affairs and Armed Services committees are urging the Trump administration to drop plans to exit the 1987 Intermediate Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty negotiated with the former Soviet Union, according to a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of Defense James Mattis on Wednesday.
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 24th October, 2018) Top Democrats on the US House of Representatives Foreign Affairs and Armed Services committees are urging the Trump administration to drop plans to exit the 1987 Intermediate Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty negotiated with the former Soviet Union, according to a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of Defense James Mattis on Wednesday.
"Given the dire consequences of a nuclear arms race for our national security and that of our European allies, we oppose any unilateral withdrawal from the INF Treaty, and urge a more deliberate and coordinated approach to hold Russia accountable without undermining US security," the letter from Congressmen Eliot Engel and Adam Smith stated.
The Trump administration has announced plans to exit the INF treaty, claiming that Russia is violating the accord with the deployment of a new class of cruise missiles in Europe - a charge that Moscow has repeatedly denied.
The Trump administration has also expressed fear that the United States may need to develop new tactical nuclear weapons to counter a military buildup by China, which is not included in the INF Treaty.
"We have seen no validated military requirement for withdrawing from the INF Treaty and deploying INF-range missiles," the letter said. "There has been no Department of Defense decision on testing or deploying ground-launched INF-range missiles that would require or justify withdrawing from the INF Treaty."
The INF Treaty bans ground-launched nuclear-capable rockets with ranges between 300 miles and 3,400 miles.
