Moscow dismisses ‘groundless’ US claim Russia breaching arms treaty

TIL Desk/World/Moscow/Moscow on Wednesday dismissed US claims that Russia is violating a major Cold War treaty limiting mid-range nuclear arms, from which Washington is planning to withdraw. “Groundless accusations are again being repeated,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said, after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declared Russia in “material breach” of the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty.

“No proof has been produced to support this American position,” Zakharova said. She described the treaty as a “cornerstone of global stability and international security”. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov meanwhile said facts had been distorted “in order to camouflage the true goal of the US withdrawing from the treaty”.

Pompeo said during a meeting with fellow NATO foreign ministers on Tuesday that the US would withdraw from the deal within 60 days if Moscow does not dismantle missiles that Washington says violate it. NATO said it was now “up to Russia” to save the treaty. In October, President Donald Trump sparked global concern by declaring the United States would pull out of the treaty and build up America’s nuclear stockpile “until people come to their senses”.