Russian Officials Slam Trump’s Plans
to Exit INF Nuclear Treaty
By Ann M. Simmons (Wall Street Journal)
Oct. 21, 2018 6:37 a.m. ET
Moscow dismisses U.S. claim that it is violating the 1987
pact
MOSCOW—Russia’s Foreign Ministry Sunday condemned
Washington’s decision to withdraw from the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces
Treaty, saying that the move was tantamount to “blackmail” and warning that it
would be “a very dangerous step,” according to the official Russian news agency
TASS.
“We condemn the continuing attempts to achieve Russia’s
concessions through blackmail, moreover in such an issue that has importance
for international security and security in the nuclear weapons sphere [and] for
maintaining strategic stability,” the news agency quoted deputy foreign
minister Sergei Rybakov as saying.
On Saturday, President Donald Trump said he would withdraw
the U.S. from the 1987 INF treaty, contending that Russia “violated the
agreement” and raising the prospect of developing a new set of weapons.
“They have been violating it for many years,” Mr. Trump said
after a campaign rally in Nevada. “And we’re not going to let them violate a
nuclear agreement and go out and do weapons and we’re not allowed
to.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin has yet to comment on
Washington’s announcement but Russia has denied
violating the treaty, which was worked out by Ronald Reagan and Mikhail
Gorbachev and prohibits the use of intermediate- and shorter-range rockets, as
well as testing, producing or fielding new ground-based missiles.
Russia is developing a missile system known as 9M729, though
Moscow says it is in full compliance with the pact.
Mr. Ryabkov told the state-run news agency RIA Novosti that
Moscow has repeatedly told Washington that “the Americans have no grounds for
accusing Russia of violating this treaty.”
The diplomat said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was
expected to meet with U.S. national security adviser John Bolton in Moscow on
Monday, according to RIA Novosti.
Konstantin Kosachev, head of the
Russian Federation Council’s International Affairs Committee, wrote on his
Facebook page that mankind was facing “full chaos in the nuclear weapons
sphere” and he warned that cancellation of the INF treaty could trigger war.
“Americans are looking for any opportunities for the
destruction of the system of agreements on the balance of nuclear forces in the
world developed during the Cold War years,” Mr. Kosachev
wrote. “The United States no longer needs a balance of power. Americans seek
unilateral military superiority in the field of nuclear and conventional
weapons in order to impose their will and interests on
the world.”
Mr. Kosachev called for the U.N.
Security Council to convene a session to discuss what he described as a
“critical” situation.
Earlier this month the U.S. ambassador to the North Atlantic
Treaty Organization, Kay Bailey Hutchison, caused a stir when she said that
Washington could choose to “take out” the new Russian missiles. “They are on
notice,” she said.
On Saturday, Mr. Trump said, “We’re the ones that have
stayed in the agreement, and we’ve honored the agreement. But Russia has not,
unfortunately, honored the agreement. So we’re going
to terminate the agreement and we’re going to pull out.”
The Russian embassy in Washington didn’t respond to a
request for comment.
The statements come as national security adviser John Bolton
is headed to Russia next week for meetings.
Mr. Bolton will meet his national security counterpart in
Moscow along with Russian defense and foreign ministers, according to a senior
administration official.
— Alex Leary and Peter
Nicholas contributed to this article.
Write to Ann M.
Simmons at ann.simmons@wsj.com