Interfax: Moscow dismisses Washington’s allegations of violating INF Treaty

Sergei Ryabkov file photo

MOSCOW. Sept 25 (Interfax) – Moscow views as groundless the United States’ allegations that Russia is breaching the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, Deputy Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Monday.

“To us, the attempts to falsely accuse Russia of breaching a number of accords, including the INF Treaty, are unacceptable,” Ryabkov told reporters in Moscow.

“In all the time such allegations have been aired, Americans have presented no firm facts that could be used as an evidence to substantiate such claims,” he said.

The Russian side also has many questions for the U.S. with respect to a variety of issues in the area of arms control, including some related to the INF Treaty, Ryabkov said.

In addition, Moscow has some questions for the U.S. over violations of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), he went on.

“For decades, the U.S. and its NATO allies have practiced so-called joint nuclear missions together to train pilots and other personnel from non-nuclear NATO member countries for operations in which nuclear weapons could be used,” Ryabkov said.

[featured image is file photo from another occasion]

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