INF treaty: Didn’t get a chance to ‘disprove erroneous allegations’, claims Russia

Moscow: Russia slammed the United States for not giving a chance to Moscow to “disprove” Washington’s “erroneous” and “fabricated” allegations before suspending the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty.
Briefing the foreign military delegates on the 9M729 cruise missile, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said, “Recent events clearly indicate that certain forces in the United States were not interested in giving us the opportunity to disprove their erroneous or fabricated information, because it would allow closing this question once and for all.” In October last year, US had accused Moscow of not complying with the treaty on at least 30 instances in the last five years despite constant reminders.
Signed by then Soviet Union Secretary General Mikhail Gorbachev and US President Ronald Reagan in 1987, the agreement was largely designed to prevent prospects of a full-scale nuclear war in Europe.
Ryabkov’s comment comes days after Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov insisted that Moscow is ready to work with Washington to save the INF treaty.
Russian artillery chief Lieutenant General Mikhail Matveyevsky also clarified that range of a missile system that has prompted Washington to withdraw from the treaty is allowed under the agreement.