Moscow Confirms Existence Of Missile But Denies It Violates INF Treaty

Russia has denied that a new cruise missile system violates the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, reports Reuters. 

Washington says that the SSC-8/9M729 cruise missile system violates the treaty, which bans the signatories from operating systems with a range between 310 miles (500 km) and 3,420 miles (5,500 km). 

On the sidelines of the U.N.-sponsored Conference on Disarmament, Russian diplomat Alexander Deyneko said that his country would not give in to U.S. demands to destroy the system. 

Moscow, which had not previously recognized the weapon's existence, says the system's range is below the threshold mandated by the accord. 

President Donald Trump says that the U.S. will begin withdrawing from the pact on Feb. 2 if Russia does not verifiably decommission its SSC-8 missiles and launchers.