MOSCOW, 4 March (BelTA) - President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree suspending Russia's participation in the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty with the United States, BelTA learned from the Kremlin press service.
Russian has made this decision “in view of the need for urgent action in connection with the violation by the United States of its obligations under the treaty between the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the United States of America on the elimination of their intermediate-range and shorter-range missiles of 8 December 1987”.
The decree notes that Russia's participation in the INF is suspended until the United States stops violating its obligations under the treaty or until the treaty terminates.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation has been instructed to inform signatories to the accord of Russia's move to suspend its participation.
The decree came into effect on 4 March.
