FROM EIR DAILY ALERT

Russia Refuses To Submit to U.S. Ultimatum on Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty

Jan. 26, 2019 (EIRNS)—The NATO-Russia Council meeting ended Jan. 25. In addition to the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, Ukraine was also on the agenda. “On both of these issues, Allies and Russia fundamentally disagree,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters afterwards during a press conference that mostly focussed on the INF Treaty. He said that all members of the council agree that the treaty “has been crucial to Euro-Atlantic security,” but that “the treaty is now in jeopardy. And unfortunately, we have not seen any signs of a breakthrough.” Stoltenberg claimed that the only reason there was no progress on the INF Treaty was because Russia refused to back down on the issue of its 9M729 missile, which the U.S. claims has been tested beyond the range allowed for by the treaty. Therefore, Russia must destroy it.

Stoltenberg insisted that even after the U.S. begins the INF withdrawal process after Feb. 2, there’s still a chance for Russia to come back into compliance because the process will take six months. But the fact is, he went on, the treaty is in jeopardy.

“That’s the reason why we have asked our military commanders, our military authorities, to look into the consequences of a world without the INF Treaty and where Russia continues to deploy these missiles,”

he said, refusing to elaborate further on what NATO will be doing.

The Russian response has been to call on NATO to help keep the treaty in place. Russia’s mission to NATO issued a statement warning that,

“The risks of the treaty’s collapse were highlighted as for the whole European security architecture and especially for prompting a new arms race. There is a need to undertake all necessary efforts to save the INF Treaty. In this regard, readiness was stressed to continue a professional and meaningful dialogue with the U.S. side on a depoliticized and constructive basis to dispel mutual concerns.”

Additionally, according to TASS, the Russian side

“provided every evidence to prove that accusations against Russia are groundless and are only meant to shift the responsibility for the breakdown of this major instrument that is vitally important for the entire European security architecture onto Russia.”