Russia warns of retaliation when U.S. suspends key arms deal

MOSCOW—Russian officials on Wednesday warned of unspecified “retaliation” to the U.S. decision to walk out of a key arms treaty.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced at a NATO meeting Tuesday that Washington will suspend its obligations under the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) in 60 days, citing Russian “cheating.”

The U.S. has shared intelligence evidence with its NATO allies that it says shows that Russia’s new SSC-8 ground-fired cruise missile could give Moscow the ability to launch a nuclear strike in Europe with little or no notice.

The bilateral treaty between Washington and Moscow banned all land-based cruise and ballistic missiles with a range between 310 to 3,410 miles. Russia says the range of the new system does not exceed 310 miles.

Pompeo said Washington “would welcome a Russian change of heart” but that he has seen no indication that Moscow is likely to comply.

Gen. Valery Gerasimov, chief of staff of the Russian military, told a briefing of foreign military attaches on Wednesday that if the U.S. “were to destroy” the treaty “we will not leave it without a response.”

He did not give specifics, but he told the attaches that it would be the countries that host U.S. intermediate-range missiles that would become immediate targets for Russia.