MOSCOW. Jan 18 (Interfax) - The international community should continue efforts to preserve the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF Treaty), the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Friday.
On January 18, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov held briefings regarding the Russian-U.S. INF Treaty for the heads of diplomatic missions accredited in Russia, embassy employees, and the European Union Delegation; no U.S. officials were present at the briefing, the ministry said in a commentary posted on its website.
"It was stated that the U.S. complaints about Russia are groundless and the U.S. ultimatum-like demands, with which it is trying to camouflage its own violation of the treaty and a line toward its complete dismantlement, are unacceptable," the ministry said.
"It was pointed out that the Americans have rejected our proposal on mutual transparency for eliminating the existing concerns. It was indicated that the destruction of one of the cornerstones of global stability by Washington is fraught with grave consequences for the entire international security system," it said.