A top US general has accused Russia of deploying a land-based cruise missile in violation of 'the spirit and intent' of a nuclear arms treaty and claimed it had been done deliberately to threaten NATO's forces in Europe.

General Paul Selva, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told a House Armed Services Committee hearing last night: 'We believe that the Russians have deliberately deployed it in order to pose a threat to NATO and to facilities within the NATO area of responsibility.'

The Kremlin today rejected violating the spirit of the 1987 Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces treaty.

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Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Paul Selva (pictured, left) said the missiles had been deliberately deployed as a threat to NATO

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: 'Russia was, is and will abide by all international obligations, including those coming from the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces treaty... even when it is not entirely in Russia's interests.'

While it was not mentioned by name, Gen Selva's comments were believed to be a reference to Russia's SSC-8 cruise missile.

But Gen Selva said yesterday he saw no indication that Moscow intends to return to compliance with the treaty, which bans an entire class of weapons - all land-based cruise missiles with a range between 310 and 3,410 miles.

The treaty was a landmark in arms control in the final years of the Cold War.

Gen Selva's accusation takes on added political significance in light of President Donald Trump's stated goal of improving relations with Russia even as Moscow is perceived by US allies in Europe as a military threat of growing urgency.

The alleged treaty violation comes amid multiple congressional investigations of alleged Russian interference in last year's presidential election.

The FBI also is probing ties between Russia and Trump associates during the campaign.

Trump has said little about the INF treaty but on multiple occasions has questioned the value of a separate, more recent treaty that limits the number of strategic nuclear weapons the United States and Russia can deploy to 1,550 warheads each starting in 2018. Trump has said it unfairly advantages Russia.

Russian servicemen equip an Iskander tactical missile system at Kubinka, outside Moscow

And he has said the US should expand its nuclear weapons capability, although he has not explained what he meant.

The Obama administration had hoped to talk Moscow into returning to compliance with the INF treaty but seemed to make no progress. Russia has claimed U.S. missile defenses violate the threat.

Asked how the US might respond now that Russian cruise missiles are deployed for potential use, Gen Selva said the military is preparing a set of options to be considered this year by the Trump administration as part of a broader nuclear policy review.

Gen Selva said he could not publicly discuss those options. When pressed he said the plan is to 'look for leverage points to attempt to get the Russians to come back into compliance,' adding, 'I don't know what those leverage points are.'

The Obama administration had accused Moscow of violating the INF treaty, but Selva's statement was the first public confirmation of recent news reports that the Russians have deployed the nuclear-capable cruise missile.

In 1988 the Soviet Red Army destroyed many of its intermediate-range ballistic missiles at the Kapustin Yar base (pictured) following the nuclear arms treaty STOCK PHOTO

The New York Times, which was first to report the Russian missile deployment, said last month the Russians have two battalions now in the field.

One is at a missile test site at Kapustin Yar and one was moved in December from the test site to an operational base elsewhere in the country.

Some in Congress have expressed alarm at the alleged Russian deployment.

Senator John McCain, the Senate Armed Services Committee chairman, last month called on the Trump administration to ensure that U.S. nuclear forces in Europe are ready.

The Republican senator from Arizona said: 'Russia's deployment of nuclear-tipped ground-launched cruise missiles in violation of the INF treaty is a significant military threat to U.S. forces in Europe and our NATO allies.'

He said he believed Russian President Vladimir Putin was 'testing' Trump.

The Commander of the US Strategic Command, Air Force General John Hyten makes a point during the Armed Services Committee hearing

In response to questions at the hearing on Wednesday, Gen Selva said US officials have been talking to Moscow about the alleged treaty violation.

He seemed unconvinced the discussions would be fruitful.

'I don't have enough information on their intent to conclude other than they do not intend to return to compliance', he said.

'Absent some pressure from the international community and the United States as a co-signer of the same agreement,' there is no logical reason to believe that Moscow intends to end its violations, he added.