03:32Romania: Stoltenberg accuses Russia of putting INF treaty in ‘jeopardy’
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that Russia is responsible for putting the INF Treaty in “jeopardy,” while speaking at the European Union Defence Ministers meeting in Bucharest, Romania on Wednesday.
“Russia has developed and deployed new intermediate-range missiles for some years now. This is a clear violation of the INF treaty,” Stoltenberg said.
“The United States made it clear that they will start the withdrawal process from the treaty within a 60 day period if Russia doesn’t come back into compliance,” he noted.
“The 60 day period will end this weekend. And if Russia doesn’t come back into compliance, then we have to be prepared for a world without the INF treaty and with more Russian missiles violating the treaty,” he added.
Stoltenberg also discussed the efforts of the European Union on defence.
“For NATO it’s a good thing that Europe, the European Union do more together when it comes to defence, because we believe that can develop new capabilities, increase defence spending and also address the fragmentation of the European defence industry,” he said.
“It is of course important that the EU efforts on defence don’t compete with NATO… After Brexit, 80 percent of NATO’s defence expenditure will come from non-EU NATO Allies,” he added.
“Two World Wars and that Cold War taught us that North America and Europe have to stand together. And that’s the main task of NATO,” Stoltenberg stated.
US President Donald Trump stated in October 2018 that the US would unilaterally withdraw from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, which was signed by former US President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev in 1987. The treaty banned missiles with ranges between 500 and 1,000 km (310-620 miles) and those between 1,000-5,500 kilometers (620 miles - 3,417 miles).
Washington and NATO have accused Russia of violating the treaty. The Kremlin has repeatedly denied these accusations.
03:32NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that Russia is responsible for putting the INF Treaty in “jeopardy,” while speaking at the European Union Defence Ministers meeting in Bucharest, Romania on Wednesday.
“Russia has developed and deployed new intermediate-range missiles for some years now. This is a clear violation of the INF treaty,” Stoltenberg said.
“The United States made it clear that they will start the withdrawal process from the treaty within a 60 day period if Russia doesn’t come back into compliance,” he noted.
“The 60 day period will end this weekend. And if Russia doesn’t come back into compliance, then we have to be prepared for a world without the INF treaty and with more Russian missiles violating the treaty,” he added.
Stoltenberg also discussed the efforts of the European Union on defence.
“For NATO it’s a good thing that Europe, the European Union do more together when it comes to defence, because we believe that can develop new capabilities, increase defence spending and also address the fragmentation of the European defence industry,” he said.
“It is of course important that the EU efforts on defence don’t compete with NATO… After Brexit, 80 percent of NATO’s defence expenditure will come from non-EU NATO Allies,” he added.
“Two World Wars and that Cold War taught us that North America and Europe have to stand together. And that’s the main task of NATO,” Stoltenberg stated.
US President Donald Trump stated in October 2018 that the US would unilaterally withdraw from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, which was signed by former US President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev in 1987. The treaty banned missiles with ranges between 500 and 1,000 km (310-620 miles) and those between 1,000-5,500 kilometers (620 miles - 3,417 miles).
Washington and NATO have accused Russia of violating the treaty. The Kremlin has repeatedly denied these accusations.