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Russia may deviate from missile deployment moratorium, senior diplomat warns

"Even now, we can say with confidence that the destabilizing military programs of the United States and their allies have been making our moratorium increasingly fragile - both with regard to the Asia-Pacific region, and Europe," Vladimir Yermakov said

Director of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Non-Proliferation and Arms Control Department Vladimir Yermakov Mikhail Pochuev/ТASS

Director of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Non-Proliferation and Arms Control Department Vladimir Yermakov

© Mikhail Pochuev/ТASS

MOSCOW, April 25. /TASS/. Russia may depart from the moratorium on the deployment of intermediate-and shorter-range missiles amid US actions, according to Vladimir Yermakov, director of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Non-Proliferation and Arms Control Department.

"As for US-made missiles that can be deployed in the Asia-Pacific region, including Japan, their high-speed characteristics are not the only criterion by which we will assess such a deployment. The range of those missile systems is as important," Yermakov said in an interview with TASS.

"In particular, whether Russia will be ready to stick further to the unilateral moratorium on the deployment of intermediate-or shorter-range missiles in individual regions will depend on the specific parameters of their range. But even now, we can say with confidence that the destabilizing military programs of the United States and their allies have been making our moratorium increasingly fragile - both with regard to the Asia-Pacific region, and Europe," he added.

The United States suspended its commitments under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty on February 2, 2019, citing Russia’s alleged violation of the pact. Washington put forward these accusations in July 2014, for the first time. According to the US administration, Russia violated the terms of the INF treaty by creating the 9M729 missile. Moscow dismissed these accusations and laid counter-claims, pointing, in particular, to US missile defense system elements being deployed in Europe. The INF Treaty ceased to exist in August 2019.

In September 2019, Russian President Vladimir Putin sent a proposal to several countries, including NATO member states, to introduce a moratorium on the deployment of intermediate-and shorter-range missiles in Europe and other regions. The US effectively rejected this initiative.

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