“Everyone interested in the issue, not only experts, but also people who simply follow the news on the foreign policy, are aware of the recent exchange of accusations, including those made publicly. In particular, we believe that a number of aspects of the US behavior directly linked to the destiny of this [Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces] treaty are a concern,” Ryabkov said.
The diplomat said that, while Washington voices disagreement over Russia’s actions within the framework of the treaty, no specific claims against Moscow have been made.
Ryabkov stressed that Russia is ready to continue the dialogue on the treaty and to hold new meetings with US colleagues. However, he explained that in order for the dialogue to be fruitful, Moscow needs the United States to express precisely what its concerns are regarding the treaty.
Over the past few months, Moscow and Washington have been accusing each other of breaching the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. The 1987 treaty eliminated nuclear and conventional ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles with intermediate ranges, defined as between 300-3,400 miles.
