Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, during an address to the Primakov Readings International Forum in Moscow yesterday, said that Russia’s offer for a moratorium on the deployment of INF-range missiles in Europe is still on the table and that the Russian side would raise it at the Biden-Putin summit on June 16. “Our proposal is still on the table, and we certainly will reiterate it at the Geneva summit on June 16,” he said, reported TASS.
According to Lavrov, Russia has also proposed verification measures with regard to the issues that create a lack of trust. “Given the lack of trust on both sides, we suggest taking measures to verify this kind of a moratorium,” he said. “We invite you to visit the Kaliningrad region to see the Iskander missiles with your own eyes and in return, we would like our experts to have the opportunity to visit the air defense bases that are being created in Romania and Poland, because the producer of Lockheed Martin launchers openly advertises them as dual-use goods. It is a very fair proposal. The Americans have ignored it as they are reluctant to allow anyone into their air defense bases.”
His complete remarks and subsequent Q&A with media will be posted to the Foreign Ministry website.