Putin Says Russia Will 'Certainly' Respond To US Withdrawal From INF Treaty

SOCHI (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 20th November, 2018) Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed on Monday to discuss Russia's steps in regard to the US plans to withdraw from the Treaty on Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF Treaty).

"I propose today to discuss our steps related to the possible withdrawal of the United States from the INF treaty. I emphasize again that we are ready to hold a dialogue with American partners on this key issue and we hope that they will regard this with full responsibility ... The US decision to withdraw from the INF treaty, certainly, cannot and will not remain without response from our country ," Putin said at a meeting on defense industry issues.

The Russian president noted that the US decision to leave the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty (ABM Treaty) in 2002 prompted Moscow to take responsive measures.

"[As the result,] Russia has hypersonic weapons now that are capable of overcoming any missile defense system," Putin added.

Last month, US President Donald Trump announced the country's withdrawal from the INF Treaty over the alleged Russian violations of the agreement.

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