Russia in violation of INF obligations - US report

WASHINGTON, July 29 (KUNA) -- The US Administration submitted to the Congress on Tuesday the 2014 Report on Adherence to and Compliance with Arms Control, Nonproliferation, and Disarmament Agreements and Commitments.
State Department Spokeswoman Jennifer Psaki said that in the report the US "determined that the Russian Federation is in violation of its obligations under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) -- obligations not to possess, produce or flight-test a ground-launched cruise missile with a range capability of 500 to 5,500 kilometers, or to possess or produce launchers of such missiles." She stressed "this is a very serious matter, which we have attempted to address with Russia for some time now." She affirmed that the US "is committed to the viability of the INF treaty." "We encourage Russia to return to compliance with its obligations under the treaty and to eliminate any prohibited items in a verifiable manner," she noted.
Psaki emphasized that the INF treaty "serves the mutual security interests of the parties, not just the United States and Russia but also the 11 other successor states of the former Soviet Union, which are also states parties to the treaty and bound by its obligations." She added "moreover, this treaty contributes to the security of our allies and to regional security in Europe and in the Middle East and in the Far East." Psaki announced that U.S. Secretary of State spoke this morning with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during which they discussed "Russia's violation of its obligations under the INF treaty." She added that Kerry said the U.S. "would like to discuss the issue in a senior level, bilateral dialogue immediately." For his part, Lavrov said he would consult and respond to the request soon. (end) si.gb