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US mobilizes allies to blame Russia for dismantling INF Treaty - Lavrov

Lavrov said that Moscow has no doubts that Washington warned NATO officials against attending a briefing organized by the Russian Foreign and Defense Ministries on the 9M729 cruise missile

© Alexander Shcherbak/TASS

MUNICH, February 16. /TASS/. Washington takes unscrupulous steps mobilizing its allies to put the blame for dismantling the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF Treaty) on Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told reporters in Munich on Saturday.

"Back in October, US officials told us that President [Donald] Trump announced a withdrawal from the treaty. It is not an invitation for dialogue but a final decision," Lavrov said.

"Afterwards, it has not been very scrupulous to mobilize allies in order to blame us for dismantling this crucial agreement," he said.

Lavrov said that Moscow has no doubts that Washington warned NATO officials against attending a briefing organized by the Russian Foreign and Defense Ministries on the 9M729 cruise missile.

"We had initiated a presentation of that missile which the Americans believe as a breach of the treaty," Lavrov said. "There was an order. We have no doubts that the United States told the NATO members ‘Do not go there’.".

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Sergey Lavrov INF Treaty

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