Geneva – US and Russian diplomats were meeting on Tuesday to discuss thefate of a major nuclear missile control treaty that Washington hasthreatened to ditch over alleged violations by Moscow.
The discussions come amid widespread concern over the fate of thebilateral treaty, after US President Donald Trump said in October hiscountry would pull out of the deal unless Russia stopped violating it.
“Russia and the United States will hold consultations on theIntermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty #INFtreaty in Geneva on January15,” Russian deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov said in a tweet.
Andrea Thompson, US Under Secretary of State for Arms Control andInternational Security Affairs, also tweeted that she was leading theAmerican delegation to the talks.
“Looking forward to sitting down with Russian delegation this morning todiscuss how #Russia plans to come back into full and verifiable compliancewith the #INFTreaty,” she said.
The talks are being held inside the Russian mission, a source there who wasnot authorised to speak to the media told AFP.
Last month, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Washington wouldwithdraw from the Cold War treaty limiting mid-range nuclear arms within 60days if Russia does not dismantle missiles that the US claims breach thedeal.
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“Recently we have noted that the American side has even hardened its tone,we see that as not a very favourable signal,” Ryabkov was quoted as sayingby Russia’s Interfax news agency ahead of the Geneva talks.
Russian President Vladimir Putin responded to the US hardline bythreatening to develop more nuclear missiles banned under the treaty.
The landmark treaty was signed by Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev in1987 and led to nearly 2,700 short- and medium-range missiles beingeliminated.
It put an end to a mini-arms race in the 1980s triggered by the SovietUnion’s deployment of SS-20 nuclear missiles targeting Western Europeancapitals.
