WASHINGTON, D.C.
The Obama administration has accused Moscow of conducting missile tests in contravention of a 1987 treaty, amid an ongoing diplomatic row with Russia.
The alleged violation stems from Russia’s commitments under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, which stipulates that Russia shall not “possess, produce, or flight-test a ground-launched cruise missile with a range capability of 500 to 5,500 kilometers, or to possess or produce launchers of such missiles”.
An administration official said the breach was a “very serious matter,” and the U.S. had attempted to address it with Russia “for some time now”.
“We have notified Russia of our determination and are prepared to discuss this in a senior-level bilateral dialogue immediately, with the aim of assuring the United States that Russia will come back into compliance with its Treaty obligations,” said the official.
The announcement is likely to further strain relations between the Obama administration and Russian President Vladimir Putin, which have already been dealt a blow following Russia’s annexation of the Crimean peninsula and support for separatists in the east of Ukraine.
The U.S. and its allies in Europe previously sanctioned senior Russian officials, Russian businesses and businesspeople, and Ukrainian rebel leaders in an attempt to make Russia change course.
The US' blaming of the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 on separatists, and its allegations of Russian cross-border strikes on Ukrainian military forces have tested relations between Washington and the Kremlin.
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