New Consultations with US on INF Treaty Issues Unlikely - Russian Foreign Ministry

MOSCOW, October 20 (RIA Novosti) – A renewal of consultations between the United States and Russia on decreasing the arsenal of intermediate-range nuclear and conventional ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles is not expected in the near future, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Monday.

“We’re not expecting [any consultations],” Ryabkov said.

Over the past few months, Moscow and Washington have been accusing each other of breaching the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty. The 1987 treaty eliminated nuclear and conventional ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles with intermediate ranges, defined as between 300-3,400 miles.