INF Treaty 'Serves Rather Than Hampers' US Interests - Top Ex-Military Officers

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - Arms control experts have sent at least two letters to the White House urging President Donald Trump to renegotiate the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty with Russia instead of scrapping it completely, The New York Times reported.

"The INF Treaty is a bedrock to our current arms control regime and serves rather than hampers American interests," one letter from a group of former high-level military officers said, according to the media reports published on Thursday.

A second letter sent by prominent arms control figures including a former Secretary of State and former Senators noted that the treaty has "prevented the unchecked deployment of nuclear missiles in Europe," the newspaper reported.

READ MORE: Spanish FM Calls Trump's Plan to Quit INF Treaty With Russia a 'Mistake'

The reports follow Russian Foreign Minister's Sergei Lavrov statement made on October 28 that Washington had handed over to Russia a list of complaints regarding the implementation of the accord and that Moscow was preparing its response to the US concerns.

Prior to that, US President Donald Trump said the United States would withdraw from the INF, claiming that Moscow was not respecting the agreement.

The Kremlin rejected the accusations, adding that Russia would be forced to take measures to ensure its security if the treaty is terminated by the United States.