SOCHI, December 4. /TASS/. Beijing’s position on a new Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty finds full understanding in Moscow, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday.
The Kremlin spokesman thus commented on US President Donald Trump’s statement on a new INF Treaty.
"Beijing’s position finds understanding in Moscow, about which our president numerously spoke," Peskov said.
"Its essence is that if we speak about the ruins of the INF and the need to make up for it with something else, then one cannot raise the issue of only Beijing’s participation. In the first place, it is necessary to speak about the West European countries, in which intermediate- and shorter-range missiles are also deployed," the Kremlin spokesman said.
In this regard, proposals by French President Emmanuel Macron look more appealing for Moscow, Peskov said.
"A new treaty is needed because the old document no longer exists to our regret and not at our initiative," the Kremlin spokesman noted. "We cannot exist in the conditions of vacuum when nothing regulates such an important aspect from the standpoint of international law as the issue of strategic stability," Peskov said.
Trump reiterated his numerously expressed idea that a new treaty should be signed instead of the dismantled INF and that the signatory states should also include China, apart from Russia and the United States.
"Trump earlier spoke that he allegedly had information that China was not against that. His data were immediately dismissed by Beijing, which said that China is absolutely not going to do that," the Kremlin spokesman said.
On August 2, the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty was officially terminated at the US initiative. The US claimed that its actions were provoked by Russia’s refusal to comply with the American ultimatum-like demand to eliminate the new 9M729 cruise missiles, which, as Washington and its NATO allies believe, violate the INF Treaty. Moscow rejected these accusations, saying that the technical parameters of the 9M729 missiles were within the characteristics allowed by the treaty and laying counterclaims to Washington.
Russian President Vladimir Putin gave instructions on August 23 to analyze the threat level in the wake of the US tests of a new cruise missile modification on August 18 and prepare a symmetric response.