US decision to pull out of nuclear forces treaty will be ‘very dangerous step’: Russia

On Sunday, October 21, deputy foreign minister of Russia, Sergei Ryabkov said that if US pulls out of the Cold War-era nuclear treaty then it would be a dangerous step and will provoke serious condemnation.

Sergei Ryabkov told TASS state news agency, “This would be a very dangerous step that, I’m sure, not only will not be comprehended by the international community but will provoke serious condemnation”. Minister said, “The treaty is “significant for international security and security in the sphere of nuclear arms, for the maintenance of strategic stability “.

Ryabkov told RIA Novosti news agency that if US unilaterally pulls out of the international nuclear agreement then “we will have no choice but to undertake retaliatory measures including involving military technology”.

Comments of Russian leader came after US President said announced on Saturday that US is going to terminate the three decades old Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, signed in 1987 by the then US President Ronald Reagan.

Trump said, “We’re the ones who 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”.

Ryabkov dismissed Trump’s allegations and said, “ We don’t just not violate (the treaty), we observe it in the strictest way. And we have shown patience while pointing out over the course of many years the flagrant violations of this treaty by the US itself”.

US National Security Advisor John Bolton is set to arrive in Moscow on Sunday to discuss the matter with Russians. About Bolton’s visit Ryabkov said, “We hope that we will hear from him during meetings, tomorrow and the day after, more substantively and clearly what the American side intends to undertake”.

Russian deputy minister said INF Treaty seems to hinder US plans for total dominationhttps://t.co/O2mz8OPITy pic.twitter.com/09sSQaFq5d

— TASS (@tassagency_en) October 21, 2018

Ryabkov also accused US of dreaming of a unipolar world and said that the treaty is a problem for US in fulfilling its dream of domination and supremacy in the military sphere.

He said, “Apparently the existence of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty creates problems for establishing a line of total US domination and supremacy in the military sphere”.