Deployment of American ground-based nuclear-capable weapons near China may prompt Russian action, deputy foreign minister warned
Russia considers the revival of intermediate-range nuclear-capable missiles by the US as “irrevocable” and may field some of its own, potentially in tandem with China, a senior diplomat said on Thursday.
The now-defunct Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty was signed by Washington and Moscow in the late 1980s, and banned either side from developing and deploying certain types of missiles. The goal was to defuse tensions in Europe and to reduce the risk of an accidental nuclear exchange.
The US announced its withdrawal from the INF treaty in 2018, claiming that Russia was in breach and stating that Washington had a need for such weapons, not least because China wasn’t bound by the bilateral agreement.
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April 11, 2024 at 05:34PM
RT