NATO is ready for a dialogue with Russia on arms control, does not want to start a new arms race, said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, speaking on Monday at the 65th parliamentary session of the North Atlantic Alliance in London.
According to him, NATO is concerned that Russia has violated the Treaty on the Elimination of Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range Missiles (INF Treaty) by developing and deploying medium-range missiles in Europe. However, the alliance does not intend to take mirror actions.
“NATO does not intend to deploy ground-based nuclear missiles in Europe. We do not want to start a new arms race, we remain open for a constructive dialogue with Russia and remain committed to effective arms control, reduction of arsenals and non-proliferation”, – he said.
On August 2, the INF Treaty expired. At the beginning of this year, Washington announced a unilateral withdrawal from this agreement, accusing Russia of its long-term violation. Moscow rejects all charges. In early July, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law to suspend the treaty. Russia has repeatedly stated that it fully complies with the INF Treaty. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov noted that Moscow has very serious questions for Washington regarding the implementation of the treaty by the Americans themselves. According to him, the US allegations of violation of the INF Treaty are unfounded.