Russia will not go for destroying its 9M729 missile complexes, which Washington believes to violate the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF), the Russian Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.
“We can not go for destroying our 9M729 missile that Washington groundlessly believes to violate the treaty”, the ministry said.
According to the ministry, the United States actively develops medium-range missile systems and Russia has to be ready for Washington’s potential deployment of such systems.
The ministry also stressed that extension of another arms control document, the New START, would be in the interests of the entire international community.
“Unfortunately, Washington prefers to create an atmosphere of uncertainty, sending negative signals [about the possibility of extension]”, the ministry said.
On 2 February, the United States formally suspended its obligations under the INF Treaty and launched the withdrawal process, which would be completed within six months unless Moscow remedies its alleged violations of the bilateral arms control deal. At the same day, Russian President Vladimir Putin denied the accusations, announcing that Moscow also suspended its obligations under the treaty in response to the US move.