"The administration’s ideological aversion to arms control as a tool for advancing national security is endangering our safety, as well as that of our allies and partners", Smith said in the statement with House Armed Services Strategic Forces Subcommittee Chairman Jim Cooper.
Smith pointed out to the increased danger of a nuclear exchange with the demise of the INF Treaty.
"The risk of miscalculation or misunderstanding is already higher than at any point since the end of the Cold War, and this decision only makes it worse," Smith said.
The United States has claimed that Russia has not been compliant with the terms of the INF Treaty. Washington has specifically said that Russia’s Novator 9M729 cruise missile is in violation of the accord.
READ MORE: US Secretary of State Holds Briefing Ahead of Possible Exit From INF Treaty
Russia has emphasized on numerous occasions that it strictly complies with the obligations outlined in the INF Treaty.
On 24 October, Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Moscow provided Washington with all information about when and at what distances Russia tested the Novator 9M729 missile.
The INF Treaty was signed in 1987 between the Soviet Union and the United States and entered into force on June 1, 1988.
Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the United States and the former Soviet republics of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Ukraine have been carrying out the obligations under the INF Treaty.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has stated she will continue negotiations to preserve the landmark 1987 treaty.
The views expressed in this article are solely those of the speaker and do not necessarily reflect the official position of Sputnik.
