Kremlin warns US as nuclear arms deal ditched

THE KREMLIN has said it is concerned about US president Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw from a landmark nuclear weapons treaty.

Mr Trump announced on Saturday that America would walk away from the IntermediateRange Nuclear Forces Treaty, which was signed by the US and the then-Soviet Union in 1987 in what was a major step towards easing Cold War tensions.

Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman for Russian president Vladimir Putin, said Mr Putin denies Mr Trump’s allegations that Russia has violated the terms of the treaty. Mr Peskov said the US withdrawal would “make the world a more dangerous place”.

The Kremlin’s comments came as US National Security Adviser John Bolton begins his visit to Russia.

Mr Peskov said Russian officials are anxious to hear Mr Bolton’s explanations over Mr Trump’s decision.

The European Union has called on the US and Russia to stick to the treaty and make sure it is “fully and verifiably implemented”.

EU spokeswoman Maja Kocijancic said Washington and Moscow “need to remain in a constructive dialogue to preserve this treaty”.

She said in Europe, the treaty “contributed to the end of the Cold War, to the end of the nuclear arms race and is one of the cornerstones of European security architecture”.

Mr Trump’s also brought sharp criticism from former Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev, who signed the pact with his US counterpart Ronald Reagan.

A spokesman for Nato said the 29 allies believe Russia is violating the treaty and have tried repeatedly to obtain information about its new missile system.

Nato has expressed concern since last year about Russia’s nuclear-capable 9M729 system violating the 1987 accord.

An Indian worker makes firecrackers, used on such a huge scale for the Hindu festival Diwali they have become a pollution problem. The Supreme Court will today give its verdict on a ban on the manufacture, sale and possession of firecrackers across India.

Workers survey the aftermath of a train derailment in Taiwan.