The United States is not ready for a constructive dialogue on the issue of intermediate-range and shorter-range missiles, former Russian Ambassador to the United States Sergey Kislyak told Sputnik on Friday
MUNICH (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 15th February, 2019) The United States is not ready for a constructive dialogue on the issue of intermediate-range and shorter-range missiles, former Russian Ambassador to the United States Sergey Kislyak told Sputnik on Friday."Given the approach of the US administration, I do not see its wish to work on preserving [the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, INF]. Unfortunately, this is a sad reality. I also do not see any wish of our US colleagues to work on a new agreement. We only hear general phrases, which contain no specific initiatives," Kislyak, who is also a member of the Russian parliament's upper house, said.
He said that in case of the US readiness for the work on the issue, Russia could join the negotiations with the United States.
The INF Treaty, which was signed by the United States and the Soviet Union in 1987 and banned all ground-launched missiles with ranges of 310 to 3,400 miles (500 to 5,500 kilometers), has recently become another contentious point in the relations between the United States and Russia.
The United States has claimed that the range of Russia's 9M729 missile violates the treaty's limits, but Moscow has denied the allegations, calling them unsubstantiated. Russia, in turn, has complained that US defense systems in Europe were equipped with launchers capable of firing cruise missiles at ranges prohibited under the INF Treaty.
Earlier in February, US State Secretary Mike Pompeo announced that the United States had suspended its obligations under the INF Treaty and triggered the six-month withdrawal process unless Russia comes back into compliance with the pact. The following day, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Moscow had suspended its participation in the treaty in response to the US actions.
