SOLNECHNOGORSK /Moscow Region/, August 15. /TASS/: The United States is fully aware that China will not engage in the negotiating process on a new arms control system, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told the Territoriya Smyslov (Territory of Meanings) National Education Youth Forum on Thursday.
"Overall, the US has set on a course to dismantle the whole arms control system, the whole system ensuring international strategic stability. The US first destroyed the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty in the beginning of the century and then moved on to demolish the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty [INF Treaty — TASS]. Statements are already put out there that the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty [New START — TASS], which expires in February 2021, has also become outdated, that it does not meet American interests, that there is no need to preserve any bilateral communication channels on arms control with Russia. [They say that] China needs to be involved, being perfectly aware that China will not agree to this," Lavrov said.
Moreover, the minister mentioned Washington’s plan to deploy intermediate-and shorter-range missiles in Asia Pacific. "It was announced that these intermediate-and shorter-range missiles will be deployed in the Asia-Pacific Region, after Americans destroyed the treaty banning these very land-based missiles. At the same time, when this announcement was made, it is clear that no one asked the countries where the Americans are planning to deploy these new intermediate-and shorter-range missiles," Lavrov underscored.
The foreign minister also stressed that the US’ intention to deploy weapons in outer space would be categorically unacceptable for the majority of countries and would run counter to the stance to prevent the arms race in space, promoted by the majority of the UN members.
INF Treaty
On August 2, 2019 the INF Treaty was officially terminated at the US side’s request. In December 2018, the US sent an ultimatum to Russia, demanding that the new Russian 9M729 cruise missiles, which as the US and NATO allies believed, violated the INF Treaty, be destroyed. Russia rejected these demands, saying that the technical parameters of 9M729 cruise missiles are complying with the norms allowed by the treaty, and laid counterclaims to Washington. The United States and NATO ignored all the submitted information, including the presentation of this missile.
