US Attempt to 'Bury' INF Treaty Creates New Risks for Europe - Lavrov

The Russian Foreign Ministry’s response comes after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that Washington would suspend its participation in the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty in 60 days "unless Russia returned to full compliance with the agreement".

“The reckless expansion of NATO, the build-up of the alliance’s potential on the so-called Eastern flank, the deployment of US missile defence systems in Europe, the illegitimate sanctions under imaginary pretexts — all these things have led to a crisis of confidence in the Euro-Atlantic”, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Thursday.

READ MORE: US's INF Move Could Prove Fatal for Arms Control Treaties — Int'l Law Assoc.

According to the diplomat, Washington is also creating new risks for Europe by attempting to "bury the INF Treaty".

EU diplomacy chief Federica Mogherini, who met with Lavrov on the sidelines of the 25th OSCE Ministerial Council in Milan, addressed the issue, stating that the INF Treaty must be preserved as it is key to European and global security.

"The High Representative stressed that the Treaty is key to European and global security and that it is in all our interests that the Treaty is preserved and fully implemented," the EU External Action Service (EEAS) press service said in a statement.

The US threats to suspend its adherence to the INF Treaty came in line with the previous statements made by President Donald Trump, claiming that Russia had violated the agreement and thus forcing Washington to exit it. Russia has denied the accusations, also noting that the United States was deploying launchers for Tomahawk missiles in Romania and Poland, which was prohibited by the treaty.