Moscow: INF withdrawal indicates need for stabilization in Russia-U.S. relations

The Russian Foreign Ministry commented on the decision of the United States to withdrew from the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty.

The Foreign Ministry said that the INF withdrawal indicates an imminent need for stabilization in bilateral relations between Washington and Moscow.

The ministry also called on the U.S. to discard plans for deploying short- and medium-range missiles and promised that in this case, Russia won't be deploying similar armaments in response. The statement noted that otherwise all responsibility for the escalating tensions will lie on Washington's shoulders.

"We have already introduced a unilateral moratorium and will not deploy medium-range and short-range ground-based missiles, if we ever obtain such, in those regions, where similar American armaments won't be present," the ministry explained.