MOSCOW. Jan 18 (Interfax) - The United States' withdrawal from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty delivers a blow to the entire architecture of international security, including the New START Treaty and nuclear weapons control in general, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said at a joint press conference with his German counterpart, Heiko Maas, on Friday.
Lavrov said that Maas and he had discussed the situation surrounding the INF Treaty in the wake of Washington's announcement of its withdrawal.
"It is obvious that the scrapping of this treaty will have the most negative implications for global strategic stability. Following the U.S.' withdrawal from the ABM Treaty, its withdrawal from the INF Treaty today will deliver a blow to the whole architecture of arms control, including the New START Treaty, the prospects of further nuclear disarmament, and the stability of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons," he said.