Russian President Vladimir Putin has on Thursday, accused the United States President Donald Trump of raising a risk of nuclear war by threatening to refuse a key arm control treaty and declining to hold talks with Russia over another pact that will expires soon.
The US has threatened to impose 1987 Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF), which bans Washington and Moscow from operating short and also intermediate-range, land-based missiles in Europe.
According to news reports, Putin has said that if it would happen, have to face unpredictable consequences. In a news conference, Putin said, “We are essentially witnessing the breakdown of the international arms control order and (the start of) an arms race.”
Putin said, “It’s very hard to imagine how the situation will develop (if the U.S. quits the INF treaty). If these missiles appear in Europe what should we do? Of course, we’ll have to ensure our own security.”
The New START pact, another US-Russia treaty can expires in 2021. Putin said he was worried that Washington was not interested in discussing the globe’s future.
Putin said, “No talks on extending this are yet being held. Are the Americans not interested, do they not need them? — Ok, we’ll survive and will ensure our own security which we know how to do. But in general, this is very bad for humankind because it takes us closer to a dangerous threshold.”
Putin further stated: “If, God forbid, something like that were to happen, it would lead to the end of all civilization and maybe also the planet,” further adding, “I hope that humankind has enough common sense and sense of self-preservation not to take things to such extremes.”