Russian Defense Ministry invites U.S. defense attache for handing note on INF Treaty
MOSCOW. Feb 7 (Interfax-AVN) - The United States defense attache in Moscow has been invited to the Russian Defense Ministry to be handed a note concerning the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF Treaty), Russian Defense Ministry spokesperson Igor Konashenkov said.
"The Russian Defense Ministry has invited the military attache from the U.S. embassy in Moscow to hand him this note," he said.
Russia has proposed that the U.S. resume abiding by the INF Treaty by destroying its Mk-41 launchers, target missiles, and combat drones, Konashenkov said.
"The Russian Defense Ministry proposes that, before the INF Treaty's expiration, the American side take the necessary measures to resume strictly abiding by the treaty," he said.
In particular, Russia suggested that the U.S. destroy its ground-based Mk-41 launchers, which it has designed to launch Tomahawk cruise missiles, Konashenkov said.
Russia also suggested that Washington destroy its "target missiles analogous in their performance characteristics to medium-range and shorter-range ground-launched ballistic missiles," Konashenkov said.
In addition, the U.S. should also destroy its combat aerial vehicles, "whose characteristics correspond with what the [INF] Treaty defines as a ground-launched cruise missile," he said.