Russian Arms Control Official Says Serious Talks With US Aren’t Possible

Vladimir Yermakov says Russia might scrap its moratorium on the deployment of missiles previously banned under the INF treaty

Vladimir Yermakov, the director of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Arms Control Department, said Tuesday that serious talks with the US and other Western countries aren’t possible.

“In the given circumstances, no major negotiations can be conducted with the United States or the West in general,” Yermakov told the Russian news agency TASS.

Yermakov also said Russia might scrap its moratorium on the deployment of short and medium-range land-based missiles previously banned under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, which the Trump administration withdrew from in 2019.

The US accused Russia of violating the treaty by developing the 9M729 cruise missile. The INF banned ground-launched missiles with a range between 310 to 3,400 miles. Russia insisted the 9M729 only had a range of up to 298 miles, but the Trump administration denied the Russian claim and tore up the treaty.

Russia also accused the US of potentially violating the treaty by establishing Aegis Ashore missile defense systems in Romania and Poland. The systems use Mk-41 vertical launchers, which can fit Tomahawk missiles that have a range of over 1,000 miles. Since pulling out of the INF, the US has been developing a ground-launched system for the Tomahawk that could eventually be deployed to Japan.

“As for US-made missiles that can be deployed in the Asia-Pacific region, including Japan, their high-speed characteristics are not the only criterion by which we will assess such a deployment. The range of those missile systems is as important,” Yermakov said.

He said Russia’s decision on whether or not to stick to the moratorium on short and medium-range missile deployments depends on the range of the US missiles. “But even now, we can say with confidence that the destabilizing military programs of the United States and their allies have been making our moratorium increasingly fragile – both with regard to the Asia-Pacific region, and Europe,” he added.

In the lead-up to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Russia was seeking a mutual moratorium with the US on the deployment of previously banned INF missiles in Europe. During negotiations, the US did offer Russia inspections of its Aegis systems in Poland and Romania but did not seriously engage with Russia on its other concerns, including its demand for a guarantee that Ukraine wouldn’t ever join NATO.

Author: Dave DeCamp

Dave DeCamp is the news editor of Antiwar.com, follow him on Twitter @decampdave.