Moscow expects Washington to show respect for international law when discussing the fate of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF Treaty), Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told reporters at a press briefing on Thursday.
"Moscow expects Washington to show respect for international law in general. As for the accusations against Moscow concerning violating [the INF Treaty], we have said competently on numerous occasions through bilateral channels and in multilateral formats that this information has nothing to do with reality, that this is misinformation and suggested starting to discuss this issue in earnest," she said, commenting on remarks by Pentagon chief James Mattis who said the US was waiting for Russia to return to compliance with that treaty.
US President Donald Trump earlier announced Washington’s plans to withdraw from the INF Treaty. Nevertheless, Moscow has so far received no formal notification on that score. On October 31, White House National Security Adviser John Bolton said that notification would follow in due time.
The INF Treaty was signed between the Soviet Union and the United States on December 8, 1987, in Washington, DC. The US accused Russia of violating the agreement for the first time in July 2014. Later on, Washington repeated these claims more than once, while Moscow rejected them, likewise accusing the US of violating the treaty.