Interagency teams with members from the Pentagon, State Department and intelligence community have held a series of bilateral meetings with key European allies, preparing partner nations for Washington’s eventual withdrawal from a key non-proliferation pact with Russia.
The teams have met with several allied nations in the region, “providing key information” on the reasoning behind the Trump administration’s proposed plan to pull out from the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces or INF, Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Affairs Andrea Thompson said.
She declined to comment on the nature of the talks between European allies and the American interagency teams, except to say that after recent discussions, "key partners and allies are on board," the Washington Times reported.
"We are talking through next steps … making sure there is no gap between [allies] once the president makes the decision" to eventually pull out of the missile pact, Thompson said.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced his intention to withdraw the U.S. from INF Treaty in October after accusing Russia of violating the agreement multiple times.
