Russia to raise issue of US systems violating INF Treaty at Russia-NATO Council — diplomat

Russia will raise the issue of the US systems violating the provisions of the Treaty on the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF Treaty) during the meeting of the Russia-NATO Council on Friday, Russain Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov told Russian reporters.

"We are raising this issue at every meeting with the relevant states. NATO is well aware of our position," he said, answering a question about whether Russia will discuss the US systems that violate the provisions of the INF Treaty. Earlier, the Russian Ministry of Defense talked about attack drones as well as target missiles that the US uses to conduct tests of its missile defense system as some of these systems.

"Well-known aspects of the activities of the United States that do not meet the requirements of the Treaty, are becoming more and more worrisome for us. We will talk about this," he continued.

The meeting of the Russia-NATO Council on the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty on Friday is especially important in the context of Western countries boycotting the Russian Defense Ministry’s briefing on the Russian 9M729 missile, Deputy Foreign Minister told.

"The purpose of my arrival is to attend the Council’s meeting," he said. "We hope that even if we do not chart a way out of the crisis situation for the INF Treaty, at least we will feel that all is not hopeless. Frankly, I still have doubts that this will work out, given, among other things, the fact that the event held by the Ministry of Defense was almost completely boycotted by the embassies of NATO countries," Ryabkov added.

"Perhaps, due to this unacceptable collective boycott, the discussion gains additional value. It will allow us to directly convey to the high-ranking representatives of the countries of the alliance our assessments and considerations, which were already stated, in particular, to the American side on ways to overcome the current impasse on the INF," he said.

Meeting with US Under Secretary Thompson
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov confirmed his meeting with US Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security Affairs Andrea Thompson in Beijing within the meeting of the so-called "nuclear five" on January 30-31, but not the forthcoming discussion of the INF Treaty, he told Russian reporters on arrival in Brussels.

"We will have a meeting [in Beijing], but whether Thompson will be ready to discuss the INF Treaty - I don’t have an answer to that. Of course, we would be interested in that dialogue," he said.

Commenting on publications in the Western media on the topic, he warned that "not everything that gets into the media corresponds to our understanding of what is happening."

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing earlier, "The agenda of this scheduled event is far wider than issues related to the INF treaty, as a wide range of issues is expected to be considered there, with an emphasis on nonproliferation of nuclear weapons".

According to the Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, at the talks on the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (the INF treaty) held in Geneva earlier in January, Russia suggested to the United States that a separate meeting on the issue should be convened in Beijing on the sidelines of a meeting of the five main nuclear states.

"Taking into account the particular topicality of the INF Treaty, the Russian side is open to continue bilateral talks with the US on this very issue."

Russia and the United States held consultations over the INF Treaty in Geneva of January 15. Ryabkov said afterwards that the United States made no attempts to narrow disagreements somehow. US Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Andrea Thompson once again accused Moscow of violating the treaty and confirmed that Washington would start the process of pulling out from the INF Treaty on February 2, if Moscow refused to eliminate its 9M279 missile which the United States regarded as a violation.

On January 23, the Russian Defense Ministry and the Foreign Ministry held a joint briefing for military attaches of foreign states in Moscow, where they demonstrated the 9M729 missile, which, according to Washington, violates the INF Treaty. Representatives of NATO countries, including the United States, refused to participate in the briefing.