We noted the statements by US officials regarding alleged violations of provisions of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) by Russia. These statements are as unsupported as everything Moscow has heard lately from Washington for other reasons. They do not present any evidence to support their accusations.

The problems related to the implementation of the INF are not new. They are well-known to both parties. We need to deal with them by working with them rather than using "mouthpeace diplomacy".

Such work was conducted earlier. It seems to be even more important, as because we have a lot of claims to the United States in the context of the Treaty. These are tests of target-missiles of missile defence, which have similar characteristics to intermediate-range missiles, production of armed drones by the Americans, which evidently are covered by the definition of ground-launched cruise missiles in the Treaty. The topic of Mk-41 launch systems, which the United States intend to deploy in Poland and Romania within the framework of the implementation of their "stage-by-stage adaptive approach" to the deployment of a global missile defence, has been quite topical lately. These launch systems can launch intermediate-range cruise missiles, but their ground-launched version can be perceived as a direct violation of the INF Treaty.

We raised these concerns with the United States many times. Washington does not want to listen to us. In this issue, as well as other debatable ones, they only listen to themselves. However, we do not lose hope and hope to receive explanations from the United States regarding the nature of the questions asked by Russia, as well as a confirmation of their readiness to work jointly to ensure of the Treaty regime and to increase its viability.

30 July 2014