US Threatens Pre-Emptive Strikes on Russia For Breaking Missile Treaty

If Russia “does not stop the secret development of cruise missiles prohibited by the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty,” the US is ready to destroy them before its first use. This was stated by the US Permanent Representative to NATO, Kay Bailey Hutchison.

Washington is confident that Russia is developing ground-based cruise missiles in violation of the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF).agreement on the elimination of medium and short-range missiles. Hutchison said. 

She said the US is committed to a diplomatic settlement of the issue but is ready to consider a military solution if Russia continues to violate the agreement concluded between the US and the USSR. 

“At this stage, we will consider the possibility of destroying a (Russian) missile that will be able to hit any of our countries,” she said. – In the future, there may come a time when America decides: we will have to start the development phase (our own missiles), which right now, according to this agreement, is not allowed. “

Today, the SecSecretary-General the NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, said that the United States came to the conclusion that the Russian Federation violated the treaty by launching a new type of missile, and shared the relevant intelligence with NATO allies. He stressed that the alliance was concerned about the actions of Russia, which, according to him, put, all nations at grave risk.

The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF).was signed in 1987 by the leaders of the USSR and the USA. The document implies that both sides can not test and deploy cruise missiles, as well as ground-based ballistic missiles of medium range (from 1,000 to 5,500 kilometers) and smaller (from 500 to 1,000 kilometers) range.