Sources from Moscow stated that President Vladimir Putin on Saturday said Russia was suspending its participation in a key Cold War era missile treaty in a mirror response to a US move the day before. He said of the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty "Our American partners have announced they are suspending their participation in the deal, and we are also suspending our participation”.
Meanwhile Putin said during a meeting with foreign and defense ministers Sergei Lavrov and Sergei Shoigu that Russia would no longer initiate talks with the US on disarmament. The President said "We will wait until our partners have matured enough to conduct an equal, meaningful dialogue with us on this important topic”. Furthermore President Donald Trump said Friday that Washington was suspending its obligations under the INF treaty and starting a process to withdraw in six months.
Moreover Washington says a Russian medium range missile system breaches the INF deal, but Moscow has long insisted it does not violate the agreement and last month invited reporters and foreign military attaches to a briefing on the disputed weapons system. Previously Putin has threatened to develop nuclear missiles banned under the INF treaty if it is scrapped but put no restrictions on other major military actors such as China.
