MOSCOW (Sputnik) — US President Barack Obama’s criticism toward Russia over the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty violations is groundless and raises a question of Moscow’s discontent with Washington on observing the deal, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday.
On Wednesday, the US leader urged Russia to fully comply with its obligations under the INF Treaty, stating it had violated the agreement.
"In this case, the Russian side remains committed to the INF Treaty and reaffirms our principal commitment to the INF Treaty. We believe any accusations against us from the US side are unfounded," Peskov told reporters.
The 1987 INF treaty banned nuclear and conventional ground-based cruise and ballistic missiles with a range of 300 to 3,400 miles.
Washington has repeatedly stated Russia was not fulfilling its INF treaty obligations, claiming Moscow tested a ground-launched cruise missile in violation of the INF treaty.
In December, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Moscow believed the United States violated the bilateral arms control deal when it installed Mk 41 vertical launching systems in Eastern Europe.
