Putin: US pullout from INF treaty may cause arm race

By Gamze Turkoglu Oguz

ANKARA

The U.S. withdrawal from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty may cause an "uncontrollable arms race," Russia's President Vladimir Putin said.

Speaking at the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Argentina’s capital Buenos Aires, Putin said: "Withdrawal from INF Treaty creates risks of uncontrollable arms race."

On a nuclear deal with Iran, Putin called on the U.S. to "prevent a new round of tensions over the Iranian nuclear program.”

The INF treaty was signed in 1987 by then Soviet Secretary General Mikhail Gorbachev and U.S. President Ronald Reagan.

On Oct. 21, U.S. President Donald Trump announced his intention to withdraw from the treaty.

The G20 summit's first session will be about human values, global economy, future of business life and women empowerment.

The second session will cover sustainable development and climate, while the third will discuss infrastructure, energy and future of sustainable food.

A joint declaration is expected to be issued at the end of the summit on Saturday.