The United States is considering “economic and military responses” in the event of Russia’s violation of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, a senior State Department official said last week. Frank Rose, assistant secretary of the Bureau of Arms Control, Verification, and Compliance, said Russia committed a “serious violation” against “one of the core tenets of the INF Treaty – not to produce or flight test intermediate-range [a] ground launched cruise missile.” As a result, the U.S. will consider economic actions – such as new sanctions – in addition to military responses. “We will ensure that Russia does not gain any advantage over the United States or its allies through its pursuit of such systems,” Rose said. He added that the U.S. will “forcefully and factually refute Russia’s groundless and diversionary claims that it is the United States that is seeking to undermine the INF Treaty.” The latest version of the fiscal 2016 National Defense Authorization Act passed by Congress specifically calls for the research and development of military responses to potential Russian violations of the arms control agreement.
Rose is traveling until next week to Europe for the second plenary meeting of the International Partnership for Nuclear Disarmament Verification. The State Department said Rose will also participate in “discussions on space policy, missile defense, arms control, and other bilateral and multilateral security topics” during the trip.
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