The Russian foreign minister has commented on the demand from US Undersecretary for Arms Control Andrea Thompson, which requires that Moscow either terminate the development of its 9M729 missile system or modify the weapon, pointing to its alleged non-compliance with the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty.
Addressing Washington's plan to suspend its adherence to the INF Treaty in 60 days, announced by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stressed that Moscow had never received documents from the US on the matter of alleged violations of the agreement, once more noting that Washington's accusations against Russia are baseless.
“We remind you once again that when the United States started accusing us of violating the treaty several years ago, it was doing it groundlessly, and we had to literally drag information out of them in order to understand what they were talking about and what they meant,” Lavrov said at a press briefing.
US Official: 60 Days Given to Russia on INF Treaty ‘Not Ultimatum'
According to the minister, the 9M729 missile system, which prompted the American side's concerns, was tested by the Russian military at range permitted under the INF Treaty. He underlined that Russia had to “literally drag information” out of Washington in order to understand their claims.
“They eventually cited a specific missile — the 9M729, as you…
