Russia suspends participation in the Treaty on the Elimination of Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range Missiles (INF Treaty), the relevant presidential law was adopted by the State Duma. Head of the Committee on International Affairs Leonid Slutskiy
Leonid Eduardovich
stated that this decision was made in response to a gross violation of the Treaty by the US and coarse blackmail of Russia by the United States
The INF Treaty was concluded in Washington in 1987 during a meeting of the leaders of the USSR and the USA, Mikhail Gorbachev and Ronald Reagan. Since then, it has been repeatedly prolonged and violated by the United States. However, since 2014, the White House has been methodically accusing Russia of violation of the INF Treaty.
On February 1, US President Donald Trump stated that the States will withdraw unilaterally from the Treaty if the Russian Federation does not eliminate the ”significant violations.“ The United States did not respond to the proposals of Russia, which was ready to provide evidence of the implementation of the Treaty.
As a result, in March, the head of the Russian state, Vladimir Putin, issued a decree on the suspension of the INF Treaty by Russia. On May 30, the head of state introduced a corresponding bill in the State Duma. According to the Russian legislation on international treaties, relevant law shall be adopted by the parliament.
On June 18, at a plenary meeting, State Duma members from all factions supported the presidential bill on the suspension of the INF Treaty. As Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov explained, the law establishes the suspension of the Treaty and not Russia's withdrawal from it. The document provides for the possibility of renewal of Russian participation in the INF Treaty by the decision of the head of state, provided the United States begins to strictly fulfill its obligations.
”We are grateful for the unconditional support of the bill, this is a guarantee of our strength and, I think, the United States will take this into account,“ said Sergey Ryabkov.
Leonid Slutskiy, Chairman of the Committee on International Affairs, stressed that the decision to suspend the Treaty is a right one and it is well-timed, it was made in response to unprecedentedly gross violations of paragraphs of the document by the United States.
