Putin: US quitting INF created ‘fundamental’ risks for all, paved way to ‘unrestrained’ arms race

Russia won’t be the first to deploy INF-banned munitions and will act only in response to potential US actions, President Vladimir Putin has said, warning that the US decision to withdraw risks an “unrestricted” arms race.
“The unilateral withdrawal from the INF treaty by the US, destruction of one of the basic documents on arms control, based on an imaginary pretext, has seriously complicated the situation in the world, [and] created fundamental risks for everyone,” Putin said on Monday.

The decision to ditch the landmark 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty will hark back to other accords on strategic nuclear weaponry and non-proliferation, Putin cautioned. If the system crumbles, it will give way to an arms race and world-wide “chaos without any rules, restrictions, and laws.”
Moscow, however, will not rush to develop land-based, intermediate-range missiles after the demise of the treaty. Russia will only act if the US proceeds with actually designing this weaponry, according to Putin. Potential deployment of any such missiles will only happen in response to Washington’s actions, he added.