Leonid Slutsky, Chairman of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs, on the statement by the NATO Secretary General on the INF Treaty:

“At the instigation of the United States, the NATO continues to loosen the base under the INF Treaty. There are efforts to blame Russia for alleged non-compliance with the Treaty solely because of North Atlantic solidarity. No evidence is again given, and arguments of the Russian side are simply not taken into account. All this can be an elementary screen for a possible withdrawal of the USA from the INF Treaty or other very dangerous and aggressive actions of the American administration.

Meanwhile, the breach of the Treaty is fraught with extremely negative consequences. If we do not manage to keep it, then there is a risk of non-renewal of the START-III (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty). And so, in fact, the entire non-proliferation of nuclear weapons regime, unfortunately, may go down in history. We do not have a right to allow this. Both Russia and the United States should be equally interested in preserving the INF Treaty in the interest of a peaceful, stable and balanced security architecture in the 21st century”.