Russia planning for ‘worst case scenario’ – new US nukes in Europe
- Moscow’s military strategists say they expect Washington wants to plant nuclear weapons in Europe or it wouldn’t consider scrapping a cold war arms control pact
- Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump are to discuss the matter at the G20 summit in Argentina
Russia said on Monday it was planning for a US deployment of new nuclear missiles in Europe following Washington’s planned withdrawal from a landmark cold war-era arms control treaty, despite the United States’ denying it has such plans.
Russia is keen to dissuade US President Donald Trump from carrying out a threat for Washington to quit the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty which eliminated both countries’ land-based short- and intermediate-range nuclear missiles from Europe.
Both countries accuse each other of violating the 1987 treaty and President Vladimir Putin and Trump are due to discuss the matter at the G20 summit in Argentina.
Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told a news conference on Monday that Moscow wanted to save the treaty and was open to talks on the issue with Washington.
But Ryabkov, who accused the US of violating the accord with missile deployments in Poland and Romania, said he thought the chances of a change of heart were slim and said Russia’s military planners were prepared for such a scenario.