Russia to Take Retaliatory Measures in Case of US Withdrawal From INF Treaty

Russia will take retaliatory measures in case of the United States withdrawal from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF Treaty), Viktor Ozerov, the chairman of the defense and security committee of the Federation Council, the upper house of Russia's parliament, told Sputnik Sunday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — On Saturday, US media reported that several US Republican congressmen have urged the administration of President Donald Trump to withdraw from the treaty, which was signed by Moscow and Washington in 1987 with the aim to limit the missile potential of the two superpowers.

"We will closely monitor the actions of our colleagues in Congress and draw conclusions. If the withdrawal from the treaty takes place and entails the military build-up, the new deployment of missiles in Europe, we will not turn a blind eye to it, we will take retaliatory measures," Ozerov said.