Russia says world will be 'more dangerous' if US pulls out of Cold War nuclear deal

As telling news.sky.com,

Russia has warned Donald Trump that the world will become "more dangerous" if he pulls the US out of a Cold War-era nuclear deal.

The US president has announced his intention to quit the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, which was drawn up to protect America and its allies in Europe and the Far East, because of alleged violations by Moscow.

The agreement - signed by Mikhail Gorbachev and Ronald Reagan in 1987 - is meant to prohibit the countries from possessing, producing or testing any ground-launched cruise missiles with a range of 300 to 3,400 miles.

Former Soviet leader Mr Gorbachev has said it would be a "mistake" if Washington scrapped the treaty.

Now the Kremlin - which denies not sticking to the deal's terms - says America's withdrawal would "make the world a more dangerous place".

"Russia would be forced to take measures to restore the balance of nuclear power in the event of a US exit from the treaty," said a statement from the Russian capital.

Moscow also pledged that it would "never attack anyone first" with a nuclear strike, following comments by Vladimir Putin that Russians would "go to heaven" as martyrs in case of such a war.

The Kremlin statement added: "We don't feel that we have the right to inflict the first strike."

"The US intention to possibly exit form the treaty is a cause for deep concern. The US itself is in breach of the treaty."