NATO and Russia on Friday failed to resolve a row over a new Russian missile, which NATO says poses a threat to Europe, so Washington is approaching another step from withdrawing from a major nuclear arms control treaty.
At a meeting of the NATO-Russia Council in Brussels, envoys from the 29 NATO countries renewed their call to Russia to destroy a cruise missile system capable of carrying nuclear warheads before a February 2 deadline.
Unless a breakthrough occurs, the United States will begin a six-month process to withdraw from the 1987 mid-range nuclear power treaty after it was informed in early December, accusing Moscow of violating the treaty while Russia denies violating its terms.
"The treaty is in real danger, the more Russia is committed to the sooner the better," NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told a news conference after the meeting.
Although he described the meeting as professional and professional, the Secretary-General said that Russia "showed no willingness to make concessions", but made it clear that he and other European countries such as Germany still hoped for diplomatic progress during the six months of the withdrawal process.
