"In fact, it seems to me, that the time has come to close this issue. We should hold one or several meetings among the authorized representatives of the two sides and not touch this anymore. It is useless to hold such propaganda games with no reasons," Ulyanov said while commenting on US congressional efforts to deter Russian missile capabilities.
In June, a group of US House of Representatives Armed Services Committee members introduced a bill to develop a national policy to deter Russia and impose sanctions in response to its alleged non-compliance with the INF Treaty.
The 1987 INF Treaty prohibits the development, deployment and testing of ground-launched ballistic or cruise missiles with ranges between 300 and 3,400 miles. Both sides have repeatedly accused each other of violating the treaty.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has, on more than one occasion, said that Moscow was in full compliance with the INF Treaty. According to Lavrov, Moscow has its own concerns over Washington's compliance, or lack thereof, and has repeatedly called on the United States to discuss in detail the most controversial points related to the deal's implementation.
