Moscow, Washington in war of words over INF arms treaty

— Russia on Wednesday accused Washington of being uncooperative on efforts to save a crucial arms control treaty, only to be accused by the U.S. of dishonesty.

Tensions have raged for months over the fate of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces treaty (INF) signed in 1987 by then U.S. president Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.

U.S. President Donald Trump has promised to walk away from the agreement and President Vladimir Putin threatened a new arms race, saying Europe would be its main victim.

Speaking after fresh talks between U.S. and Russian officials in Geneva to salvage the INF led nowhere, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow was ready to continue negotiating.

“We are still ready to work to save the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty,” Russia’s top diplomat told reporters.

He called on European nations to help influence Washington, saying they had a major stake in the issue and should not be “at the tail-end of the U.S. position.”

Last month Washington gave Russia a 60-day deadline to dismantle missiles that it claims breach the INF treaty or the U.S. would begin the six-month process of formally withdrawing from the deal.

Moscow’s top negotiator in Geneva, deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov, said the Geneva talks centered on Russia’s 9M729 system but that U.S. demands regarding the missile were unacceptable.

Lavrov said on Wednesday the Russian side in Geneva came up with “constructive proposals” aiming to give the U.S. an idea of what the 9M729 system was, but the U.S. side arrived with an “ultimatum” and demanded to “destroy” the rocket and related equipment.

U.S. Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security Andrea Thompson countered that talks “did not break new ground” and said Russia’s offers of inspection of the 9M729 were inadequate and merely “paid lip service to transparency.”