Russia says it will not be drawn into arms race after US tests cruise missile
(Baonghean.vn) - According to Sputnik, the US conducted its latest missile test on August 18 from San Nicolas Island, California. The Pentagon announced that "the test missile left the mobile launcher on the ground and accurately reached the target after flying more than 500 km".
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| Illustration photo: AP |
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said on August 20 that Moscow regretted the US tests of cruise missiles banned under the INF Treaty. According to the diplomat, the US move is evidence that Washington has long been preparing to break the agreement.
Ryabkov stressed that Russia would not be drawn into an arms race and would not deploy missiles anywhere unless the US did so.
“We would like to stress that we have taken what happened calmly. We had anticipated that the situation would develop in this direction. However, we will not be drawn into a costly arms race. As President Putin said on August 19 in France, we confirm our firm commitment to unilaterally halting the deployment of such systems until the United States deploys them elsewhere in the world,” Ryabkov said.
Earlier, the Pentagon said it had tested a conventional ground-launched cruise missile, which was banned under the INF Treaty. The flying object successfully reached its target after flying 500 km.
The INF Treaty, signed during the Cold War, expired on August 2 after the US repeatedly accused Russia of violating the treaty, a claim Russia denied.
Signed in 1987, the INF requires the United States and Russia to eliminate and permanently refrain from developing ground-launched cruise and ballistic missiles with ranges of 500 to 5,000 km.