U.S. President Donald Trump | Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Moscow hit back Sunday at U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw from an arms control treaty with Russia, slamming it as “blackmail.”
“We condemn the continuing attempts to achieve Russia’s concessions through blackmail, moreover in such an issue that has importance for international security and security in the nuclear weapons sphere [and] for maintaining strategic stability,” said Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, according to Russian news agency TASS, also saying Trump’s move was “a very dangerous step.”
“Unlike our American colleagues, we understand all the seriousness of the issue and its significance for security and strategic stability.”
Trump confirmed Saturday that the U.S. would be abandoning the Cold War-era arms treaty, arguing that Russia has defied the terms of the agreement. Russia and the U.S. have in the past accused each other of violating the treaty, which bans land-based, mid-range missiles and was agreed by Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev in 1987.
European politicians have warned that canceling the treaty could lead to a new arms race on the Continent that would threaten European security.
The German government said the deal was important for Europe’s security interests and called on its NATO allies to discuss the consequences of the decision.
“The federal government regrets the announced withdrawal … The INF treaty is an important element of arms control, which serves European interests especially,” a government spokesperson said in a statement.
“Against this backdrop, Western allies urged Russia a number of years ago to clarify the serious doubts about its compliance with the treaty, which a new Russian missile type has brought up. The consequences of the U.S. decision will now have to be discussed by all NATO partners.”
The U.K. government, meanwhile, backed Washington. U.K. Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson told the Financial Times that Britain should stand “resolute” behind the U.S. decision.
