The US called the latest round of negotiations aimed at preserving the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty “disappointing”. At the same time, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov slammed the US for ignoring Moscow’s “constructive proposals” and sticking to its own “prepared position that was based on an ultimatum”.
US Undersecretary for Arms Control and International Security Andrea Thompson announced that the United States is planning to commence its withdrawal from the INF Treaty beginning 2 February, citing a lack of “Russian compliance”. The process of withdrawing from the bilateral treaty will take around 6 months to complete.