Hutchison told reporters that the United States was seeking a response in the sphere of conventional weapons and also studying the possibility to create new defence systems amid Russia's suspension of compliance with the INF.
Russia announced its suspencion of the INF treaty, but only after the US formally suspended its obligations under the accord and accused Moscow of breaching its terms through its use of 9M729 cruise missiles.
Russia refuted the claims, pointing out that US missile defence systems deployed in Europe can be repurposed for offensive use and therefore are themselves in violation of the agreement.
The INF treaty, signed by the US and the USSR in 1987, banned both countries from using land-based ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and missile launchers with ranges of 500–5,500 kilometres (short medium and intermediate-range).