Armaments development changes situation around INF, but Russia not violating deal - Putin

MOSCOW, December 18. /TASS/. The development of armaments is changing the situation around the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, but unlike the United States Russia is not violating the deal, Russian President Vladimir Putin told the Defense Ministry’s annual board meeting. Since signing the treaty, Russia has modernized its armaments system, but this is not related to those types of weapons mentioned in the document, Putin said. "Yes, the situation is changing, it has changed, but not because we have violated the treaty. We are not violating anything. It is changing in the sense that other countries are developing these types of weapons," he noted. According to Putin, the US is breaking the treaty by supplying its sea-based Aegis system to Romania and Poland, and also using strike drones, which fit all the characteristics of intermediate-range and shorter-range missiles. "So, they are directly violating [the treaty] and making claims against us, which are hypothetical and unfounded." The US could try to start talks with the countries, which acquired these armaments. "But no, simply, apparently [the current treaty] contains certain aspirations, and these are hardly peaceful aspirations, this military buildup is another push towards the arms race," Putin noted. It won’t take much effort for Russia to create the appropriate ground-based weapon systems, if the US quits the INF Treaty, Putin stressed. "Largely speaking, Russia has everything," he said. "And if there occurs what they are trying to frighten us with, we will have to respond accordingly. And, as you understand, if we have airborne and sea-based systems, it won’t take much effort for us to carry out R&D and place such systems on the ground, if necessary," the Russian leader said. Read more