The United States and Russia should agree not to deploy missiles in Europe where they can hit each other's targets after the end of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) to avoid a "Euromissile race," Daryl Kimball, the chief of the US-based Arms Control Association, told Sputnik on Monday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 05th March, 2019) The United States and Russia should agree not to deploy missiles in Europe where they can hit each other's targets after the end of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) to avoid a "Euromissile race," Daryl Kimball, the chief of the US-based Arms Control Association, told Sputnik on Monday.
Earlier in the day, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree suspending Russia's participation in the INF Treaty, following the US decision to withdraw from it.
"The two sides should negotiate a 'no first deployment' arrangement. The United States and NATO would agree that no alliance members will field any INF Treaty-prohibited missiles in Europe so long as Russia does not deploy treaty-prohibited systems where they could hit NATO territory," he suggested.
This could be done in the form of an executive agreement verified through national technical means of intelligence, he said.
Kimball, whose Washington-based nonprofit has been promoting arms control policies since before the INF was signed in 1987, said there was no chance of keeping the Cold-War era deal in place as neither country looked willing to do what it takes to save it.
"With the INF Treaty's days numbered, a new and more serious arms control initiative is needed - and it should be focused on the near-term problem on how Washington and Moscow can avert a new Euromissile race that would undermine the security of both sides," he pointed out.
He proposed moving Russian missiles to the east of the Ural Mountains, which separate Europe and Asia, while the United States should agree not to place new missile launchers in NATO's European members. Moscow has been concerned about the possible use of launchers in Eastern Europe for offense.
"A no-first-deployment agreement would... mean forgoing [US President Donald] Trump administration's plans for new ground-launched, INF Treaty-prohibited missiles to counter Russia. This would be no loss: the air- and sea-launched missiles in U.S. and NATO arsenals mean there is no military need for such weapons," he said.
The United States formally suspended its obligations under the INF Treaty last month and gave Russia six months to comply with its demands, prompting Russia to do the same. Putin said the country did not want a costly arms race but ruled out any new talks on arms controls, saying all earlier proposals remained on the table.
