German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas Believes Russia Lacks Transparency On 9M729 Missile

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said on Wednesday after meeting with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo that Russia had failed to provide enough transparency on the 9M729 missile, which, according to Washington's claims, allegedly violated the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 24th January, 2019) German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said on Wednesday after meeting with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo that Russia had failed to provide enough transparency on the 9M729 missile, which, according to Washington's claims, allegedly violated the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty.

On Wednesday, the Russian Defense Ministry presented at a briefing for foreign military attaches the 9M729 missile of the Iskander-M ballistic missile system, describing its features. According to the ministry, military attaches and representatives of CSTO, BRICS, EU and NATO military-diplomatic corps, as well as some other European and Asian countries were invited to the briefing. However, US, UK, French and German, as well as EU and NATO representatives, did not attend the briefing.

"Russia so far has not been ready to provide full transparency. Expectations are on the table and the ball is still in Russia's court," Maas said, as quoted by the dpa news agency.

Moscow's proposal to show the missile is not sufficient, he added.

Departing on Wednesday to the United States, Maas told reporters that if the INF Treaty was terminated, it was necessary to continue close coordination on the security issues within NATO.

In October, US President Donald Trump announced his country's intention to withdraw from the INF Treaty over alleged Russian violations of the agreement. On December 4, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that Russia had 60 days to start to comply with the agreement, or, otherwise, the United States could leave the treaty on February 2. The Russian authorities, in turn, have many times stressed that their country strictly complied with the obligations outlined in the treaty.

The United States has in particular repeatedly voiced concern over Russia's 9M729 missile, which, according to Washington, violates the provisions of the nuclear treaty. Moscow has refuted US accusations as unsubstantiated, insisting that the missile was tested at the range permitted by the agreement.

Russia, in turn, has complained that launchers on US defense systems in Europe are capable of firing cruise missiles at ranges that are banned by the agreement.

The INF Treaty was signed in 1987 by then leader of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev and then US President Ronald Reagan. The leaders agreed to destroy all cruise or ground-launched ballistic missiles with ranges between 500 and 5,500 kilometers (310 and 3,400 miles).