Kremlin denies allegations it violated U.S. missile treaty

[February 15, 2017]    MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia is committed to honoring its international obligations, including in relation to missiles, the Kremlin said on Wednesday, responding to reports it had violated a treaty with the United States by deploying a new ground-based missile.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov speaks during the annual end-of-year news conference of Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, Russia, December 23, 2016. REUTERS/Sergei Karpukhin

"Russia has been and remains committed to its international commitments, including to the treaty in question," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in a daily telephone briefing.

"Nobody has formally accused Russia of violating the treaty," he said.

On Tuesday, media reported, citing U.S. officials, that Russia had deployed a ground-launched cruise missile despite U.S. complaints that this violated an arms control treaty banning ground-based U.S. and Russian intermediate-range missiles.

(Reporting by Maria Kiselyova; Writing by Alessandra Prentice; Editing by Andrew Osborn)

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