Russia drops moratorium on deploying medium, shorter range missiles
The foreign ministry noted the disappearance of "conditions for maintaining a unilateral moratorium on the deployment of similar systems" under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty.
Steps by the West led to the buildup of destabilizing missile potentials in the regions adjacent to Russia, posing a direct threat to the country's strategic security, the ministry said.
The nuclear treaty was an arms control deal between the United States and the Soviet Union. In 2019, the US side withdrew from the treaty, citing Russian non-compliance. Russia had suspended the treaty and declared a moratorium on the condition that the US does the same.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Kuwait Times
7 hours ago
- Kuwait Times
Ukrainians' trust in Zelensky dips after wartime protests: Pollster
Two killed in Russian attack on holiday camp, says Kyiv KYIV: Public trust in Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy fell to its lowest level in around six months following rare wartime protests against a move to curb the power of anti-corruption watchdogs, a leading Kyiv pollster said on Wednesday. The survey, by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology, is the first by a major Ukrainian pollster to measure public sentiment since Zelenskiy sparked anger with a move to subordinate the agencies to a hand-picked prosecutor-general. Thousands of Ukrainians had rallied in Kyiv and other cities late last month against the fast-tracked measures, prompting Zelenskiy and his ruling party to quickly reverse course. The KIIS poll, which began a day after the controversial vote on July 22, found that 58 percent of Ukrainians currently trust Zelenskiy, down from an 18-month high of 74 percent in May and 67 percent in move against anti-corruption authorities last month had fuelled discontent in particular because of what critics described as the speed and lack of transparency with which the measures were passed. Fighting corruption and improving governance are key requirements for loan-dependent Ukraine to join the European Union, a step many consider critical to fending off future Russian pressure. While much smaller, the demonstrations had prompted comparisons to Ukraine's 2014 Maidan revolution, when protesters toppled a leader accused of graft and heavy-handed rule in favour of closer ties with the West. KIIS found that those who distrust Zelenskiy cited corruption and his handling of the war as the top two reasons, at 21 percent and 20 percent, respectively. Trust had already been decreasing before the protests, it added, but the demonstrations 'undoubtedly had an impact' on the continuing slide. Zelenskiy's lowest wartime trust rating was 52 percent in December 2024, according to KIIS. The latest survey involved more than 1,000 respondents across government-controlled Ukraine. In a research note, executive director Anton Grushetskyi said Zelenskiy still enjoyed 'a fairly high level of trust' but said the gradual decrease should serve as a warning. 'The persistent downward trend is a worrying signal that requires attention and thoughtful decisions from the authorities,' he wrote. Zelenskiy, after bowing to pressure and submitting new legislation reversing the controversial measures last month, said he 'respects the position of all Ukrainians'. However, some protesters interviewed by Reuters said the scandal had at least somewhat altered their perception of Zelenskiy, whose office has also faced allegations of using wartime to centralize power. It has denied those charges. 'On the first day of the protests, I thought #12414 simply as a reminder,' said 22-year-old IT worker Artem Astaf'yev, referring to the controversial law's designation. A first-time protester, Astaf'yev added that he would probably not vote for Zelenskiy's ruling Servant of the People party in future polls. Elections are currently suspended under martial law. Others like Yuriy Fylypenko, a 50-year-old veteran, said the public outcry had proven that Ukraine's traditionally vibrant civil society could be stoked even in wartime. 'We have been convinced that Ukraine is not sleeping, that Ukraine is full of potential to defend democratic principles.' Meanwhile, a Russian attack on Wednesday that set ablaze a holiday camp in central Ukraine killed two people and wounded another dozen, local authorities said. The central Zaporizhzhia region, which the Kremlin claims is part of Russia and is cut through by the front line, has been targeted in increasingly frequent and deadly Russian attacks. The emergency services posted images showing firefighters putting out flames in single-storey cottages and the bodies of those killed and hurt in the attack on the blood-stained ground. The regional governor said two people were killed and that 12 were wounded, including four children. 'There's no military sense in this attack. It's just cruelty to scare people,' President Volodymyr Zelensky said on social media, adding that hundreds had been left without electricity after Russian attacks further south. Russian forces separately killed a man born in 1959 in the embattled town of Pokrovsk, an important logistics hub in the Donetsk region that Russia also said it annexed, according to local authorities. There was no immediate comment on the strikes from Moscow, which launched the invasion of Ukraine early 2022 and denies its forces target civilians. – Agencies
Arab Times
10 hours ago
- Arab Times
Trump to put additional 25% import taxes on India, bringing combined tariffs to 50%
WASHINGTON, Aug 6, (AP): President Donald Trump signed an executive order Wednesday to place an additional 25% tariff on India for its purchases of Russian oil, bringing the combined tariffs imposed by the United States on India to 50%. The tariffs would go into effect 21 days after the signing of the order, meaning that both India and Russia might have time to negotiate with the administration on the import taxes. Trump's move could reshape India's economic ambitions. Many American companies have seen India as an alternative to Chinese manufacturing that Trump had hoped to diminish through the use of tariffs. Even though China also buys oil from Russia, Beijing was not subject to the additional tariffs in the order signed by the Republican president. The U.S. and China are currently in negotiations on trade, with Washington imposing a 30% tariff on Chinese goods and facing a 10% retaliatory tax from Beijing on American products.
Arab Times
16 hours ago
- Arab Times
Philippine president orders suspension of rice importation
MANILA, Aug 6, (Xinhua): Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr on Wednesday ordered the suspension of rice importation for 60 days beginning Sept 1 to protect Filipino farmers during this current harvest season. Marcos issued the directive after consulting with cabinet members and upon the recommendation of Philippine Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel. The country's Department of Agriculture earlier recommended to Marcos the temporary suspension of rice importation and an increase in tariffs on imported rice to protect local farmers.
