NATO urges Russia to respond to US missile concerns

NATO on Friday urged Russia to respond to US concerns about a cruise missile system Washington says is in breach of a landmark Cold War nuclear arms reduction treaty.

The US says Russia has developed, tested and deployed an intermediate-range missile system that breaks its commitments under a 1987 treaty between Washington and the Soviet Union.

"Allies have identified a Russian missile system that raises serious concerns," NATO said in a statement.

"NATO urges Russia to address these concerns in a substantial and transparent way, and actively engage in a technical dialogue with the United States.

The alliance said the US was "in compliance" with its obligations under the treaty.

The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty signed by US president Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev abolished a whole class of missiles with a range of between 500 and 5,500 kilometres.

It put an end to a mini-arms race triggered by the Soviet Union's deployment of SS-20 nuclear missiles targeting Western European capitals.

Moscow has repeatedly denied claims that its recent deployment of a land-based missile system breaks the treaty.

The 29 NATO states said the INF treaty had "contributed to strategic stability and reduced the risk of miscalculation leading to conflict", and it was important to maintain it.

In February the New York Times said Russia had deployed SSC-8 missiles to the southern region of Volgograd and to another unidentified location.

US ambassador to NATO Kay Bailey Hutchison called Russia's actions "dangerous and destabilising" and said that despite four years of efforts, "Russian officials have refused to engage constructively with the United States".

Last week the US State Department said it was reviewing "military concepts and options, including options for conventional, ground-launched, intermediate-range missile systems" in response to the Russian actions.

Dennis Rodman: Trump and N. Korea's Kim 'pretty much the same'
Beijing (AFP) Dec 12, 2017
Former basketball star Dennis Rodman is perhaps the only person in the world to call both US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un "friend". The ex-Chicago Bulls power forward - who has swigged vodka with Kim and been fired by Trump on "Celebrity Apprentice" - believes the two unpredictable leaders "are pretty much the same people". "They love control," Rodman to ... read more

Related Links
Learn about nuclear weapons doctrine and defense at SpaceWar.com
Learn about missile defense at SpaceWar.com
All about missiles at SpaceWar.com
Learn about the Superpowers of the 21st Century at SpaceWar.com

Thanks for being there;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.

SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5+ Billed Monthly

SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once

credit card or paypal