MOSCOW. Feb 7 (Interfax) - Russia is awaiting the clarification of U.S. President Donald Trump's proposal for a new agreement to replace the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said at a press conference on Thursday.
"Of course, we have taken note of the reference to the possible conclusion of a new treaty in a statement made by President Trump. This treaty might be signed in 'a beautiful room' and involve third countries. We will be eagerly awaiting the clarification of this proposal, either on paper or as concepts presented as items on the agenda of relevant negotiations," Ryabkov said.
"Any talks, especially multilateral ones regarding complex subjects, must begin with the discussion of the scope and parameters of the future agreement before we add concrete substance to the deal," he said.
"We must at least define the framework and decide what will be included [in the agreement] and what won't," Ryabkov said.
"When our American colleagues are ready to provide practical work of this kind, of course, we will discuss the issue with enthusiasm and, hopefully, in a positive way. So far we have seen nothing but a proposal to sign the treaty 'in a beautiful room.' Obviously, we welcome this proposal," he said.
At various stages, Moscow suggested that the treaty become wider, multilateral, and universal, Ryabkov said.
"We put forward those initiatives, and the United States supported them at a certain moment, mostly in the first half of the 2000s. Unfortunately, we realized that countries that have a substantial part of their missile potential in the operational range prohibited by the INF Treaty were not quite positive about or interested in accepting such offers, and, as I understand it, this attitude persists," he said.
Trump publicly declared the intention of the United States to quit the INF Treaty on October 20, 2018. Later, U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton visited Moscow and explained the logic the U.S. was following in its decision to quit the INF Treaty.
"In statements made by U.S. officials at the time and subsequently, there were references to the United States' worries about the potential of third parties," Ryabkov said.