Alwaght- Russia says US deployment of Aegis Ashore anti-missile systems in Eastern Europe is a flagrant violation of Washington’s liabilities under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF Treaty).
The Russian foreign ministry made the declaration on Saturday in response to the latest report of the US Department of State on countries’ observance of their liabilities in the sphere of weapons control and non-proliferation.
"The United States has deployed Aegis Ashore anti-missile systems at its base in Romania and plans to deploy another such system in Poland. Such systems incorporate vertical launch systems similar to Mk-41 universal systems that are capable of launching intermediate-range cruise missiles Tomahawk," the ministry noted.
"Obviously, it is a flagrant violation of liabilities under the INF Treaty," the ministry stressed.
According to Russian foreign ministry, this is not the only section of the treaty where Washington is failing its liabilities. Thus, for more than two decades, the United States has been continuing tests with the use target missiles having the same characteristics as ground-based short-and medium-range ballistic missiles to improve elements of the systems prohibited by the INF Treaty.
Russia also says it is alarmed over the deployment of the United States’ military biological infrastructure along its borders, the foreign ministry said.
"We cannot but be concerned over systemic deployment of the US’ military biological infrastructure along the Russian borders," the ministry said.
Russia has also dismissed US claims that it is reviewing its stance on the role of nuclear weapons while expressing concern that, the absolutely ungrounded false thesis of growing ‘Russian nuclear threat’ is being fomented. The Russian foreign ministry also blamed the US for continuing to involve European non-nuclear NATO countries to the so-called joint nuclear missions.
Russia further urged the US to share with the United Nations Security Council data on the presumable use of chemical weapons in Iraq and Syria.
"The United States should demonstrate a more responsible approach to the issue of the use of chemical weapons in the Middle East by non-state entities," the ministry said.
