Washington's recent successful ballistic missile test proves that the country used to violate the now-collapsed Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty with Russia, as it is not possible to create such a missile within nine months, despite such claims, the first deputy head of the Russian lower house's defense committee told Sputnik on Friday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 13th December, 2019) Washington's recent successful ballistic missile test proves that the country used to violate the now-collapsed Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty with Russia, as it is not possible to create such a missile within nine months, despite such claims, the first deputy head of the Russian lower house's defense committee told Sputnik on Friday.
US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper praised on Thursday the successful test of the INF-banned ground-based missile, noting that it had taken less then nine months, instead of the usual two years, to go from concept to launch. According to Esper, work on the missile began after Washington withdrew from the INF.
"This proves once again that the Americans are being cunning when they accuse Russia of being non-compliant. They proved themselves that they were not compliant. One cannot create a missile within just nine months starting from scratch. This is not possible. There is such a thing as production cycles. One needs years, not nine months, to go from theory to practice," Andrei Krasov said.
"The Russian Federation is calling on the US side once again to return to compliance with the INF Treaty," Krasov added.
Since the INF, signed in 1987, is now suspended following the US' unilateral withdrawal, nothing prevents Russia from creating and testing missiles of this class as well, the lawmaker said.
