The United States formally withdrew from a landmark nuclear missile pact with Russia on Friday after determining that Moscow was in violation of the treaty, something the Kremlin has repeatedly denied.
Washington signalled it would pull out of the arms control treaty six months ago unless Moscow stuck to the accord. Russia called the move a ploy to exit a pact the United States wanted to leave anyway in order to develop new missiles.
The1987 Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) was negotiated by then-U.S.President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.
Itbanned land-based missiles with a range of between 310 and 3,400 miles(500-5,500 km), thus reducing both countries' ability to launch a nuclear strikeat short notice.
"TheUnited States will not remain party to a treaty that is deliberately violatedby Russia," Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement about theU.S. withdrawal.
"Russia'snon-compliance under the treaty jeopardises U.S. supreme interests as Russia'sdevelopment and fielding of a treaty-violating missile system represents adirect threat to the United States and our allies and partners," Pompeosaid.
Senioradministration officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Russia haddeployed "multiple battalions" of a cruise missile throughout Russiain violation of the pact, including in western Russia, "with the abilityto strike critical European targets."
Russiadenies the allegation, saying the missile's range puts it outside the treaty.It has rejected a U.S. demand to destroy the new missile, the Novator 9M729,known as the SSC-8 by the NATO Western military alliance.
