President Donald Trump has condemned Russia's alleged violation of a nuclear weapon treaty, and announced the United States will pull out of an agreement with the superpower.
On Sunday (NZ time), the US President said Russia had been violating the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty for years, and was not sure why former President Barack Obama had remained in the treaty, CNN reports.
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"We're not going to let them violate a nuclear agreement and go out and do weapons and we're not allowed to. We're the ones that have stayed in the agreement and we've honoured the agreement," said Mr Trump as he left a campaign rally in Nevada.
The treaty was signed by former Presidents Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev, and eliminated all nuclear and conventional missiles with ranges of 500-5500km.
The Trump administration has repeatedly asserted that Russia was violating the treaty, and warned it could pull out.
US NATO representative Kay Bailey Hutchison said the administration has evidence Russia is building medium-range ballistic missiles.
There have also been concerns the limitations placed on the US meant it was lacking safeguards against China, which does not face any constraints.
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