Many US Lawmakers Will Support Trump Withdrawing US From INF Treaty With Russia - Rubio

Many members of Congress are prepared to support President Donald Trump's reported plans to withdraw the United States from the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty because of Russian non-compliance and the need to counter China's military buildup, US Senator Marco Rubio said in a statement on Monday.

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 22nd October, 2018) Many members of Congress are prepared to support President Donald Trump's reported plans to withdraw the United States from the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty because of Russian non-compliance and the need to counter China's military buildup, US Senator Marco Rubio said in a statement on Monday.

"Russia continues to blatantly cheat on the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty,' Rubio said via Twitter. "Worse, we are now dangerously disadvantaged in Asia because China isn't bound by this US-Russia agreement's limits. If POTUS [president of the United States] withdraws from the treaty, I and many others will support him."

The United States claims that Russia has been in violation of the INF Treaty since 2014.

The INF Treaty prohibits the development, deployment and testing of ground-launched nuclear-capable ballistic or cruise missiles with ranges between 300 and 3,400 miles.

On Sunday, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said the United States has been breaching the treaty for years and has no reasons to accuse Russia of violating the agreement. Ryabkov added that a withdrawal would benefit certain political actors in the United States who want to continue acting in violation of the INF Treaty.

The INF Treaty has an unlimited duration and each side can terminate it by providing compelling evidence to substantiate its decision.