(VOVWORLD) - Russia's President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree suspending Moscow's participation in the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF).
 Russian President Vladimir Putin at an annual press conference in Moscow on Dec. 20, 2018 (Photo: AFP/VNA) |
In a statement on Monday, the Kremlin said the suspension will last until the US ends its violations of the treaty or until it expires. Mr. Putin told Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to inform the US of Russia's decision.
Concerns in Europe about a new arms race have been growing since the US threatened to withdraw from the INF, a key Cold War-era nuclear arms treaty. The 1987 treaty, the first to eliminate an entire class of missiles, banned both countries from developing, producing, or deploying ground-launched cruise or ballistic missiles with ranges between 500 and 5,500 kilometers. Last October, US President Donald Trump accused Russia of violating the treaty by developing the Novator 9M729 missile. Meanwhile, Russia denied violating the treaty and said it will not destroy the missile.