MOSCOW. Jan 21 (Interfax) - The United States' demand that Russia destroy its 9M729 missile in connection with the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF Treaty) is unacceptable, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said.
"We are on the threshold of the expiration of the 60-day term set by the United States itself in which it said we were expected to take measures to destroy this missile, which supposedly violates the treaty," Ryabkov said in an interview with the journal International Affairs.
"It is clear that the ultimatum-like tone and nature of this demand are unacceptable to us, primarily due to the complete lack of violations on the part of Russia," he said.
"This missile does not violate the treaty, and it has never been tested for a range banned by the treaty," he said.
"And the attempts being made by the Americans to assert the opposite show only that they are looking for pretexts to get rid of the limitations the INF Treaty imposes on them," Ryabkov said.