Donald Trump claimed that Russia is violating the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty with the United States, and that he will pull out of it.
The treaty was signed in 1987 by the USSR and the US, and stipulates the elimination of nuclear and conventional missiles and their launchers with ranges of 500–1,000 km (310–620 mi) and 1,000–5,500 km (620–3,420 mi).
“We’ll have to develop those weapons,” the US president said, commenting on his announcement.
On Friday, The New York Times reported that the Trump administration was preparing to exit the three-decade-old Cold War-era treaty next week.
A source within Russian Foreign Ministry commented on the situation, saying that Trump made the move because of Washington's dreams of a unipolar world.
“The main motive is the dream of the unipolar world. Will that come true? No,” the source said.
Moscow and Washington have repeatedly accused each other of violating the treaty. The administration of former US president Barack Obama, however, decided not to abandon the deal.
Last year, a senior Russian legislator warned that Moscow would prepare an adequate response to ensure the country's protection if the United States decides to withdraw from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty.
READ MORE: Russian Embassy in US Debunks Accusations of Alleged INF Treaty Violation
Meanwhile, Europe is in favor of the extension of the Russia-US 2010 New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START). German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel stated last year that if the deal isn't renewed in 2021, the security of Europe would be threatened.