NATO gives Russia one last chance to implement Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty
The Secretary-General of the North Atlantic Alliance (NATO), Jens Stoltenberg stated in an interview with Postimees that the Alliance is giving Russia one last chance to start implementing the terms of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty or INF.
“We have given Russia one last opportunity to start to implement the treaty… within 60 days. If they do not do this, the USA will withdraw from the treaty, as they clearly stated,” the Secretary General said. He noted that if that happens, NATO will have to respond. The Alliance is currently discussing the means and method of doing so.
“We will respond in a balanced manner, but now it is [too] early to say exactly how. It is serious. Part of it concerns prevention and deterrence tactics but there is also a question whether it is possible to introduce new initiatives on controlling weapons to maintain the control system that has been in force,” Stoltenberg stated.
Earlier, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stated that the USA would withdraw from the INF Treaty if Russia did not implement it within 60 days. Russian President Vladimir Putin responded by saying that America did not provide any evidence of Russia’s violations of the INF Treaty.