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US may deploy land-based missiles in Europe

The move would be a response to Russia's alleged violation of a Cold War-era intermediate nuclear force (INF) Soviet-US treaty
Elimination of SS-23 missile under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, 1989 (archive)  Vladimir Velengurov/Fotokhronika TASS
Elimination of SS-23 missile under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, 1989 (archive)
© Vladimir Velengurov/Fotokhronika TASS

NEW YORK, June 5. /TASS/. Washington is weighing an opportunity of installing land-based that could pre-emptively destroy the Russian weapons in Europe or Asia, says a report by US Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen Martin Dempsey revealed by the Associated Press.

The move would be a response to Russia's alleged violation of a Cold War-era intermediate nuclear force (INF) Soviet-US treaty of 1987. The treaty outlawed the intermediate and shorter range missiles. 

Russia has repeatedly dismissed US accusations of violating provisions of the treaty. The director of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s department for nonproliferation and armaments control, Mikhail Ulyanov, said on Monday at a review conference on observance of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty that Washington’s claims are totally ungrounded and Washington pursues the goal of discrediting Russia.

"The American side has again made totally unfounded charges against us claiming we’re violating the INF," Ulyanov says. "Along with it, the US refuses or, most probably, is unable to substantiate these claims with any concrete facts."

"One gets an impression the actual objective is to try and discredit Russia and to profile it as a state encroaching on its international commitments," he said a response to a speech by the US Secretary of State, John Kerry.