Moscow dismisses 'groundless' US claim Russia breaching arms treaty

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".

But on Monday, the US leader said he wants talks with his Chinese and Russian counterparts Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin "to head off a major and uncontrollable Arms Race".

Signed in 1987 by then US president Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev, the last Soviet leader, the INF resolved a crisis over Soviet nuclear-tipped ballistic missiles targeting Western capitals.

But it was a bilateral treaty between the US and the then Soviet Union, so it puts no restrictions on other major military actors like China.

Pompeo on Tuesday said there was no reason why the US "should continue to cede this crucial military advantage" to rival powers.

The Trump administration has complained of Moscow's deployment of Novator 9M729 missiles, which Washington says fall under the treaty's ban on missiles that can travel distances of between 310 and 3,400 miles (500 and 5,500 kilometres).

US-Russia ties are under deep strain over accusations Moscow meddled in the 2016 US presidential election.

The two states are also at odds over Russian support for Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria's civil war, and the conflict in Ukraine.

Related Links
Learn about nuclear weapons doctrine and defense at SpaceWar.com
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Trump wants talks with Putin, Xi to end 'uncontrollable arms race'
Washington (AFP) Dec 3, 2018
US President Donald Trump on Monday proposed talks with the leaders of China and Russia aimed at halting what he described as an "uncontrollable" arms race. Trump's comment follows an October announcement in which he said he would withdraw from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF), a Cold War deal with Russia to cut missile numbers. Critics say the move, which has not been finalized, would spark a new arms race with Russia. Trump at the time said he would build up America's nuclear ... read more