The US is reviewing military options, including new intermediate-range cruise missile systems, in response to what it says is Russia’s ongoing violation of a Cold War-era pact banning such missiles, the US Department of State said on Friday.
Washington is prepared “to cease such research and development activities” if Russia returns to compliance with the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement.
The warning was US President Donald Trump’s administration’s first response to US charges first leveled in 2014 that Russia has deployed a ground-launched cruise missile that breaches the pact’s ban on the testing and fielding of missiles with ranges of between 500km and 5,500km.
US officials have said the Russian cruise missile is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead.
Russia has denied that it is violating the accord.
In the statement marking the treaty’s 30th anniversary, Nauert said the US “remains firmly committed to the INF Treaty and continues to seek the Russian Federation’s return to compliance.”
“The administration firmly believes, however, that the United States cannot stand still while the Russian Federation continues to develop military systems in violation of the treaty,” she added.
The US administration is now “pursuing economic and military measures intended to induce the Russian Federation to return to compliance,” Nauert said.
The measures involve a review of “military concepts and options” that include researching new ground-launched conventional cruise missile systems, she said.
“This step will not violate our INF Treaty obligations,” Nauert said. “We are also prepared to cease such research and development activities if the Russian Federation returns to full and verifiable compliance with its INF Treaty obligations.”
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