MINSK, 4 February (BelTA) – The current situation around the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF Treaty) is fraught with the escalation of the conflict potential and a new spiral of the arms race, which will have serious long-term consequences for the European continent, Andrei Shuplyak, Deputy Head of the Information and Digital Diplomacy Department of the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, commented on Belarus' stance towards the U.S. decision to quit the INF Treaty, BelTA has informed.
“Today, more than ever, it is important to make every effort on both sides of the Atlantic to restore and strengthen confidence-building measures in order to prevent the deployment of medium and shorter-range missiles in Europe. Belarus calls upon the United States and Russia to again show high responsibility for the future of the world, as the USSR and the United States did 30 years ago to pre-empt the destabilizing effects of this type of weapon on security in the Eurasian region,” the representative of the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
According to him, on 2 February Belarus received an official notification from the United States about the country's withdrawal from the INF Treaty in a six months' time. "As is known, the INF Treaty gave a start to the process of nuclear disarmament. It made an invaluable contribution to the reduction of global tensions, restoring confidence in the global arena, strengthening international security and strategic stability. Withdrawal from the INF could lead to the collapse of the system of international agreements in the field of international security, disarmament and arms control,” Andrei Shuplyak said.
Being a responsible party to the INF Treaty, Belarus is concerned over its future. “We are convinced that through a professional and mutually respectful dialogue, using primarily the INF mechanisms, all stakeholders can and should save the treaty,” Andrei Shuplyak said.
As BelTA reported earlier on 2 January Washington officially notified Moscow of its withdrawal from the INF Treaty. U.S. President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Michael Pompeo announced that Washington suspended its obligations under the INF Treaty on 2 February and that the withdrawal process will be complete in six months if Russia does not return to compliance with the Treaty. For the first time, the United States accused Russia of violating the INF Treaty back in July 2014. Washington repeatedly voiced these accusations which Moscow categorically denied. Russia fielded counterclaims to the United States regarding the implementation of the INF Treaty.
