Kremlin backs Macron's idea to involve Europe in new missile treaty

SOCHI - The Kremlin shares the opinion of French President Emmanuel Macron that Europe should be a part of a new treaty limiting intermediate and shorter-range missiles, presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said.

"The point is that whenever we speak of the ruins of the INF Treaty, we should not bring up the question of Beijing alone. First and foremost, we should speak about Western European countries, which also have intermediate and shorter-range missiles on their territories. In this context, the statement made by French President Macron on that matter yesterday is more to our liking," Peskov told the press in Sochi on Wednesday.

He also commented on the statement made by U.S. President Donald Trump regarding new treaties in this area.

"Trump repeated what he has already said on multiple occasions: he said a new treaty must replace the dismantled INF Treaty to involve China in addition to the United States and Russia," Peskov said.

China has expressed its unwillingness to join the treaty, he said. "Moscow takes Beijing's stance with understanding," he said.

"The new treaty is necessary because, unfortunately, the old treaty is gone, and this is not our fault. We cannot exist in a vacuum, where nothing is regulated by international law," Peskov said, noting that this is an important aspect of strategic stability.