Russia sees “no progress’’ on salvaging a mid-range nuclear arms treaty with the United States, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister, Sergei Ryabkov, said on Thursday.
“Unfortunately, there is no progress; the U.S. position remains rather tough and ultimatum-like,’’ Ryabkov said in comments carried by state news agency TASS.
Ryabkov had met the U.S. Undersecretary of State for Arms Control, Andrea Thompson, in Beijing earlier in the day to discuss the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty.
Their meeting lasted less than an hour, TASS reported.
The U.S. is expected to begin withdrawing from the decades-old, bilateral treaty within the coming days on the allegation that Russia has violated it by developing missile capabilities within the banned range of 500 to 5,500 kilometres. (dpa/NAN)