US Has No Evidence Proving Alleged Russia's Violations Of INF Treaty - Russian Lawmaker

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 21st October, 2018) The United States has no evidence proving alleged Russian violations of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF), a member of the Russian parliament's upper house's defense committee, Frants Klintsevich, told Sputnik.

On Saturday, US President Donald Trump announced the country's withdrawal from the INF treaty over the alleged Russian violations of the agreement.

"US President Donald Trump's decision to leave the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty is not surprising to us but we hoped that the common sense would prevail. It is obvious that the United States has no evidence proving Russia's violations of the treaty's provisions," Klintsevich said.

The lawmaker pointed out that Trump's decision to leave the INF Treaty was not in line with the interests of its European allies.

"[The United States] wants to drag us, like the Soviet Union, into an arms race. It will not succeed. I have no doubts that our country will manage to ensure its security under any circumstances," Klintsevich added.

The 1987 INF Treaty prohibits the development, deployment and testing of ground-launched ballistic or cruise missiles with ranges between 300 and 3,400 miles.