Leonid Slutsky: “The media broadcast a statement by the US President’s Special Representative for Nuclear Nonproliferation Jeffrey Eberhardt demanding that Russia“ remove from Europe ”missiles that, according to Washington, violate the Treaty on the Elimination of Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range Missiles.
If the interpretation is correct, I have a big question: what reality is this American special envoy in? The United States withdrew from the INF Treaty unilaterally on August 2, 2019, under the guise of accusing Russia of violating the treaty, which, of course, we did not do. In response, Moscow suspended its participation in the INF Treaty, and today the treaty has ceased to exist.
Russia has repeatedly expressed regret over the collapse of the INF Treaty and even suggested introducing a moratorium on the deployment of intermediate and shorter-range missiles in Europe in order to neutralize the possible tragic consequences of the breakdown of the treaty initiated by the United States. And here is the most interesting thing: until now we have adhered to the moratorium unilaterally, and the American “partners” and their NATO allies have actually rejected the Russian proposal. In addition, it was the United States that long ago began to send weapons to Europe and build missile defense systems in countries located in the immediate vicinity of Russian borders.
And at the same time, I would also like to remind Mr. Eberhardt that on its territory Russia can deploy its own missiles where and when it sees fit, this is our sovereign right, as well as to conduct military exercises. At the same time, Russia did not and does not violate any international obligations. “
