Earlier on Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin stressed the need to resume negotiations on ensuring strategic stability and security between Russia and the US. "Despite what has happened [the US withdrawal from the INF Treaty], we still count on the common sense, the feeling of responsibility of American colleagues and their allies before their peoples and before the entire international community," the Russian president stressed. "In order to avoid chaos, in which there are no rules, restrictions or laws, it is necessary once again to weigh all possible dangerous consequences and start a serious dialogue without ambiguities and in substance," Putin noted.

MOSCOW, August 5. /TASS/. Participation of third countries cannot be a condition for the talks between Russia and the United States on strategic security, chairman of the Russian Federation Council's Foreign Affairs Committee Konstantin Kosachev told TASS on Monday.

"Russia is ready for the talks at any moment, however, naturally, not on the topic of the alleged violation of its obligations. For its part, participation of third countries is not an issue of bilateral relations of the parties to the former treaty [INF Treaty], and it cannot be a condition for the talks between the two global nuclear powers," Kosachev said.

He added that the "demagogy" around the alleged breach of the INF Treaty by the Russian side as a cause for its dissolution is baseless and "no ultimatums, accusations or deadlines will be considered without serious negotiations."

"Before developing our intermediate-range nuclear forces in response to the US actions, we will not be ambushed, we have enough means of defense," the senator said.

Earlier, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov stated that the US should clarify its stance on China’s role in a new arms control system. "As for China, we have been taking note of all signals that Beijing is sending. We can see that China has taken a clear position on the matter. We have heard about Washington’s preferences but since the US initiated the discussion, it needs to answer the question of what to do with these preferences and how the situation may unfold," Ryabkov noted.

The INF Treaty

The INF Treaty, signed by the Soviet Union and the United States on December 8, 1987, took effect on June 1, 1988. It applies to deployed and non-deployed ground-based missiles of intermediate range (1,000-5,000 kilometers) and shorter range (500-1,000 kilometers). Washington on many occasions had accused Russia of violating the accord, but Moscow vehemently dismissed all accusations and, in its turn, expressed grievances over Washington’s non-compliance.

On August 2, the Russian Foreign Ministry officially confirmed that the operation of the Intermediate Nuclear Force Treaty has been terminated at the initiative of the United States.