Lavrov:  US must withdraw nukes from Europe

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Friday that “US nuclear weapons deployed in Europe should be returned to US territory.” Addressing an international non-proliferation conference in Moscow, he said that the US position on the nuclear deal with Iran and threats of a military solution for North Korea caused great concern.

Breaking up the Iran nuclear deal, as warned by President Donald Trump, would be an “alarming signal” for the entire international security system, he said, including the situation on the Korean peninsula. Lavrov stressed: “There is no alternative to political dialogue for North Korean nuclear ambitions,” and voiced concern about “a growing number of military drills being carried out by the US and ally South Korea in the Korean peninsula.”  Lavrov urged world powers to get behind a joint Russian-Chinese roadmap for settling the crisis over North Korea’s weapons program.

Lavrov also complained that US Global Anti-Missile Shield was a key problem for Russia and China.