U.S., Russia ready to walk away from arms treaty

Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened Wednesday to forge ahead with developing missiles that could target Europe if the United States pulls out of a 1987 treaty. In Brussels on Tuesday for a NATO meeting, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Russia was working on a new missile system that violates the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. The weapons could carry out a nuclear strike on Europe with little or no notice. The United States said it will abandon the agreement in 60 days unless Russia changes course. NATO allies concurred that Moscow was not holding up its end of the deal. “It is now up to Russia to avert the end of the treaty,” German government spokeswoman Ulrike Demmer said Wednesday.