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WORLD NEWS A9
Friday 10 March 2017
Kremlin denies violating nuclear arms pact with US
V. ISACHENKOV that the Russians have de- Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov speaks in Moscow, Russia on Thursday, March 9, 2017. The
Associated Press ployed the nuclear-capa-
MOSCOW (AP) — The ble cruise missile. Kremlin on Thursday rejected U.S. claims of Russian violations of a landmark nuclear arms treaty,
Kremlin on Thursday reject- During earlier bickering
ed U.S. claims of Russian over the INF Treaty, Russia saying it has respected the pact and will continue to do so.
violations of a landmark has sought to turn the ta-
nuclear arms treaty, saying bles on the U.S. with claims (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin)
it has respected the pact of perceived U.S. viola-
and will continue to do so. tions. with its own grievances, in Moscow with his Ger- pointed at the WikiLeaks
The controversy over the Trump has said little about
1987 Intermediate-range the INF treaty, but he has saying the U.S.-led missile man counterpart Sigmar dump of purported U.S.
Nuclear Forces Treaty adds criticized another arms
another thorn in the side pact, the 2010 New START defense and the deploy- Gabriel that Russia is only intelligence, noting that it
for U.S. President Donald nuclear arms reduction
Trump’s declared goal of treaty that limited the U.S. ment of NATO’s forces near responding to “being en- has highlighted the CIA’s
improving ties with Mos- and Russian nuclear arse-
cow, coming at a time nals to no more than 1,550 Russian borders threaten circled with NATO’s weap- reported capability to imi-
when his administration is deployed warheads for
facing questions over al- each country, saying it of- Russia’s security. ons and NATO’s units.” Ga- tate an electronic trace
leged contacts with Rus- fers Russia an advantage.
sia during the U.S. election The bickering over the INF Russian Foreign Minister Ser- briel called for dialogue to usually left behind by hack-
campaign. treaty comes at a time
Gen. Paul Selva, vice chair- when Russia-U.S. ties have gey Lavrov said after talks ease tensions. Lavrov also ers from other nations.q
man of the U.S. Joint Chiefs plunged to their lowest
of Staff, on Wednesday point since the Cold War
accused Russia of deploy- over the Ukrainian crisis,
ing a land-based cruise the war in Syria and other
missile in violation of “the disputes. U.S. allies in Eu-
spirit and intent” of the rope have voiced con-
1987 Intermediate-range cern about what they
Nuclear Forces Treaty. perceived as aggressive
President Vladimir Putin’s Russian intentions and its
spokesman Dmitry Peskov military buildup.
responded that “we dis- Moscow has responded
agree with and reject any
such accusations.” French ambassador says he won’t serve if Le Pen is president
“Russia has adhered to
and will adhere to all its in- PARIS (AP) — France’s am- votes, and “immediately the Socialist government is “I cannot loyally defend
ternational obligations, in- bassador to Japan has said leave public service.” “swept away.” your positions” and “would
cluding those under the INF publicly that he would re- Le Pen, who wants to pull Le Pen specifically men- refuse to serve” if she wins.
Treaty,” he said in a confer- fuse to serve as a diplomat France out of the Europe- tioned judges, in an ap- Conservative candidate
ence call with reporters. if Marine Le Pen were elect- an Union, and put a ceiling parent reference to mul- Francois Fillon also faces
The INF Treaty bans an en- ed president. of 10,000 on immigration, tiple corruption probes by corruption charges for us-
tire class of weapons — all Ambassador Thierry Dana shares the lead in recent investigative judges into ing public funds to pay his
land-based cruise missiles sharply criticized Le Pen polls with independent her National Front party, wife and two children as
with a range between 500 and her nationalist poli- centrist Emmanuel Macron. her entourage and, in one parliamentary aides — but
and 5,500 kilometers (310 cies in a commentary in Dana cited a Feb. 26 case, herself. She has been not giving them any work.
and 3,410 miles). Le Monde newspaper. The speech by Le Pen in Nantes called in for questioning on But while the weight of the
The Obama administration National Front shot back in which she suggested Friday, but has said she will allegations left Fillon fight-
had accused Moscow of Thursday, saying that Dana that some civil servants not be available during the ing for weeks to maintain
violating the INF treaty, but should anticipate Le Pen’s were allegedly working presidential campaign. his candidacy and pushed
Selva’s statement marked coming victory in the April against her, and said they The ambassador to Japan him into third place, Le Pen
the first public confirma- 23 and May 7 presidential could be held liable once said in his commentary that has not suffered.q
tion of recent news reports
