Russia’s Putin urges talks with US to avoid ‘chaos’ and a new arms race

Moscow and Washington tore up the cold war-era Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces treaty on Friday

Putin said if Russia receives information about US development of new missiles, it ‘will be forced to begin the full-scale development of similar missiles’

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An activist wearing a Putin mask holds a mock missile at a protest in Berlin against the ending of the treaty. Photo: EPA

Published: 10:52pm, 5 Aug 2019Updated: 4:56am, 6 Aug 2019

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday urged the United States to begin new arms talks after the collapse of a cold war nuclear pact between the two world powers.

Moscow and Washington tore up the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty on Friday, triggering fears of a new arms race.

“In order to avoid chaos that has no rules, limits and laws, one needs to once again weigh all possible dangerous consequences and start serious dialogue without any ambiguities,” Putin said in a statement. “We are ready for it.”

Moscow has blamed Washington for unilaterally ending the 1987 treaty which was signed by US president Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump at the G20 summit in Japan in June. Photo: EPA

The agreement limited the use of conventional and nuclear missiles with ranges of 500 to 5,500 kilometres (310 to 3,400 miles).

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