Russian lawmakers back Putin on withdrawal from nuclear arms treaty

Russian lawmakers on Tuesday voted to back President Vladimir Putin’s exit from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty, The Associated Press reported.

Putin signed an executive order exiting the nuclear arms deal in March, and Tuesday’s overwhelming vote in the State Duma confirmed that decree.

Russia’s exit from the 1987 arms treaty follows the U.S.’s notice on Feb. 1 that it would stop complying with the treaty in six months.

{mosads}The Trump administration has accused Russia of violating the treaty, which bans the creation and maintenance of nuclear and conventional ground-launch ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges between 300 and 3,400 miles, since 2014.

Russia has denied breaking the treaty and has accused the U.S. of doing so.

The European Union has also accused Russia of violating the treaty.

Putin has warned that if the U.S. places ground-based intermediate-range missiles in Europe, then Russia will retaliate.