Russian Lower House Passes Bill Suspending Country's Compliance With INF Treaty

The lower house of the Russian parliament (the State Duma) passed at its plenary session on Tuesday a bill suspending the Russian-US Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF)

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 18th June, 2019) The lower house of the Russian parliament (the State Duma) passed at its plenary session on Tuesday a bill suspending the Russian-US Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF).

Russian President Vladimir Putin submitted the bill to the lower house in late May.

The upper house of the Russian parliament is going to discuss the bill on June 26, and lawmakers are likely to support it, senior Russian lawmaker Sergei Tsekov told Sputnik.

"If the documents from the State Duma are ready, and I think they certainly will be, then we will discuss this at a session on June 26," Tsekov said, stressing that the upper house lawmakers would vote in favor of the bill.

"Everybody has long been aware of the situation, and everyone understands it. The decision is being taken as a response to US de facto withdrawal from the INF," Tsekov added.

The United States formally suspended its obligations under the INF Treaty on February 2, over alleged violations by Russia, and triggered a six-month withdrawal process. Russia denied the accusations, saying that it was Washington that breached the deal, signed in 1987. Russian President Vladimir Putin signed on March 4 a decree on Russia's suspension of participation in the INF Treaty.