Moscow has warned that a US withdrawal from the landmark agreement on ground-based intermediate-range nuclear weapons would prompt Russia to do what's necessary to preserve strategic stability; Washington's European allies have voiced concerns about the impact a US withdrawal from the INF Treaty would have on European security.
The Western alliance does not seek a new arms race, but Russia must respond to concerns regarding its observance of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF), NATO Secretary Jens Stoltenberg has said.
“We don't want a new Cold War, we don't want a new arms race. Therefore, we strongly believe that it is important to address concerns we have expressed for a long time regarding the new missile[s]. And Russia has to come into compliance with the INF Treaty in a transparent and verifiable way,” he said, speaking at a news conference on Wednesday.
“All allies agree that the United States is in full compliance…the problem, the threat, the challenge is Russian behavior,” he added, while indicating that he didn't foresee the alliance's European members deploying more nuclear weapons on European soil.
Stoltenberg noted that the Western allies would be holding further consultations on the INF Treaty this week.
He also said that NATO was pleased that Russia and the US are talking about ways to preserve the New START Treaty on strategic nuclear disarmament after 2021, and said he…
