US formally suspends INF arms treaty with Russia

Associated Press

The top American diplomat says the United States has formally suspended its obligations under a Cold War-arms treaty with Russia.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says the Trump administration has acted after what he calls “Russia’s material breach” of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces treaty and its failure to come into compliance in the two months since Washington gave notice of its intent to withdraw from the pact.

Pompeo says in a statement the U.S. provided Russia with formal notice of the American withdrawal in six months, according to terms of the treaty.

He says the U.S. “has gone to tremendous lengths to preserve” the treaty. But he says Moscow “continues to deny that its noncompliant missile system” violates the accord.

Pompeo says Russia’s actions have “jeopardized the United States’ supreme interests, and the United States can no longer be restricted by the treaty while Russia openly violates it.”