By Olamilekan FAWAS
Russia is worried the U.S. has begun to develop new missile systems which could be transformed in violation of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said on Thursday.
“We are particularly concerned about the fact that the U. S. launches new allegedly retaliatory military programmes, including rather provocative ones which may scrap the INF Treaty, under unsubstantiated pretext of Russia’s ‘violations’.
“In particular, launch of a programme of developing ground-based missile systems with the range violating the treaty has been approved and funded,’’ Ryabkov told the upper house of the Russian parliament.
The diplomat added that the U.S. considered deploying such systems on the Japanese territory, approaching Russia’s borders in the Asia-Pacific region.
“We point out to the Japanese and U.S. sides that by taking such steps they expand the geographical scope of Washington’s violations of the INF,’’ Ryabkov told lawmakers.
The 1987 INF Treaty envisages the destruction of ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges of between 500 and 5,500 km, their launchers and associated support structures and support equipment.
In May 1991, the sides fulfilled the commitments, stipulated under the agreement.
By that time, Russia had destroyed 1,752 land-based ballistic and cruise missiles, while the U.S. eliminated 859 missiles banned under the INF.
The treaty is indefinite, but the parties have the right to pull out if they submit sufficient proof justifying the withdrawal.
Russia has repeatedly stated about its full compliance with the INF and noted that there are serious doubts about U.S. commitment to the agreement.
In particular, Moscow is worried that the U.S. has begun to restore infrastructure for the deployment of INF-banned launchers fit to fire universal cruise missiles of the Tomahawk family in Romania and Poland.
Also, Russia said that the U.S. has taken steps to deploy the Aegis Ashore missile defence systems, as well as “MK-41” Vertical Launching Systems tubes which could be used to launch intermediate-range cruise missiles in Europe in violation of the INF treaty.
