Russian President Vladimir Putin has said on Saturday, Moscow has suspended the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty deal with the United States shortly after receiving similar move by the US.
According to Reuters news reports, during a televised meeting with defence and foreign minister, the Russian president said: “The American partners have declared that they suspend their participation in the deal, we suspend it as well.”
Washington has on Friday, announced its withdrawal from the INF Treaty with Moscow in six months unless Russia does not end what it said are violating the treaty, the landmark 1987 arms control pact.
Putin has said Moscow will start working on creating several new missiles along with the hypersonic one and further told the minister during their meeting not at all to initiate any dialogues with Washington over disarmament talks.
The US and Russia have failed to make some possible progress in their dialogues held on Thursday over a dispute on the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF), the TASS agency quoted Russian deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov as saying.
Moscow slammed Washington over its 60-day ultimatum for Russia’s compliance with the 1987 INF treaty, further calling it a “game made to cover up their domestic decision to withdraw”.
Ryabkov added saying Washington was standing at a “destructive” position on the INF Treaty. He said there might be the suspension of the US obligations under the pact this weekend.