Czech President Zeman says INF Treaty withdrawal could undermine global trust in US

epa06295879 Czech President Milos Zeman delivers a speech during awarding of state orders and medals at Prague Castle in Prague, Czech Republic, 28 October 2017. The Czech Republic is marking the 99th anniversary of the creation of an independent Czechoslovak nation in 1918. EPA-EFE/MARTIN DIVISEK

Czech President Milos Zeman has condemned US President Donald Trump’s plans to withdraw from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty. In an interview with TV Barrandov, Zeman said that he shares the opinion of the EU, which expressed its protest against the US withdrawal from the treaty.

 “Donald Trump has denounced several international pacts. This treaty is not the first and not the only one. I stick to the principle that if you cancel an agreement that you had once signed, then you lose trust,” TASS quoted the Czech president as saying.

The INF Treaty applies to deployed and non-deployed ground-based missiles of intermediate range (1,000km-5,000km) and shorter range (500km-1,000km). In the recent years, Washington has accused Russia of violating the treaty, while Moscow has dismissed the accusations and pointed to Washington’s own non-compliance.