US sets deadline for Russia, warns it may quit nuclear pact
- by Celia Watts
- in People
- — Dec 5, 2018
The United States says that Russian Federation is already in violation of the treaty, asserting that it has developed, built, and deployed missiles that breach the ban on ground-launched cruise and ballistic missiles with a range of 500 to 5,500 kiloemters.
Although NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said there would now be an intense diplomatic push to try to convince Russian Federation to give up what Pompeo said were "multiple battalions of the SSC-8 missiles", Washington is set to pull out of the treaty in February.
In Moscow on Wednesday, Putin told journalists the USA had provided "no evidence" of Russian violations, and threatened an arms race if the United States sought to develop new medium-range missiles after exiting the treaty.
Britain's chief of the defence staff, General Sir Nick Carter, has also said Russian Federation is in breach of the agreement - telling MPs "we need to call them out" for a deployment of "systems which break the 500km to 5,000km range".
In Moscow, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that "Russia strictly complies with the provisions of the treaty, and the American side is aware of that".
"The Russian side has repeatedly declared that this is, to say the least, speculation", Zakharova said of the US allegation.
"It makes no sense for the United States to remain in a treaty that constrains our ability to respond to Russia's violations", Pompeo said on Tuesday after meeting with NATO foreign ministers.
They called on Russian Federation "to return urgently to full and verifiable compliance".
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Earlier this month, the United States imposed its own sanctions on Saudi officials for the same reason. Saudi authorities have vehemently denied the crown prince was involved.
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But both leaders still face a complicated mix at home of economic nationalists, free trade advocates and other conflicting forces. The US simultaneously threatened to add tariffs to a further $267 billion (£205 billion) of products.
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Trump's national security adviser John Bolton had reportedly been pushing to have the USA withdraw from this treaty.
Noting that Ukraine isn't a member of the alliance, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the allies already "provide strong political support and strong practical support". "At the end of the 60 days, it's going to be a free-for-all".
Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova rejected accusations of noncompliance: "Russia strictly complies with the conditions of the treaty and the U.S. side is aware of that".
"They are not going to change course on the basis of a USA threat to withdraw", Kimball said. "Now Russia is attempting to use Crimea to expand its influence and control of the Sea of Azov", Stoltenberg said.
"It is now up to Russian Federation to avert the end of the treaty, " Demmer said.
But it is unclear what more North Atlantic Treaty Organisation would do beyond the sea patrols and air policing it already does in the region.
The 29-nation alliance, which the US dominates, said the Kremlin needs to show compliance "urgently".
