French President Emmanuel Macron stressed the important role the treaty plays in safeguarding European security and stability during his telephone conversation with US President Donald Trump on Monday, the French president's office announced.
"The President of the Republic underlined the importance of this treaty, especially with regards to European security and our strategic stability," the statement said.
Treaty on the Brink of Collapse
READ MORE: Russian Envoy to US Suggests Putin-Trump Summit May Herald New INF Treaty
Reacting to this announcement, Moscow, in its turn, has warned Washington against unilaterally withdrawing from agreements and stressed that accusations that Russia had violated the deal were unsubstantiated.
The future of the deal may be discussed by the two signatories, as US National Security Adviser John Bolton has arrived in Moscow, President Putin's Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov noted on Sunday. According to Peskov, Russia expects the US official to further explain Washington's stance on the issue.
READ MORE: Kremlin: Russia Expects US Explanation on INF Treaty as Bolton Arrives in Moscow
The INF Treaty was signed in 1987 by former President of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev and then-US President Ronald Reagan, who agreed to destroy all cruise or ground-launched ballistic missiles with ranges between 500 and 5,500 kilometers (310 and 3,400 miles).
