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MOSCOW, Nov. 22-- The plans of the U.S. establishment to withdraw from existing arms control agreements like the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF Treaty) are shortsighted and dangerous, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Thursday. Russia and the United States have the largest nuclear potentials and therefore have a special responsibility to maintain global security, Lavrov said in an interview with Italy's AGI news agency, according to a ministry transcript. "We do not understand and are concerned about the desire of the U.S. leadership to change the format and in fact eliminate the existing international regime for limiting armaments," he said. In October, U.S. President Donald Trump said that Washington would pull out of the INF Treaty on account of Russia's alleged breach of the agreement, which Moscow repeatedly denied and warned against a new nuclear arms race. Meanwhile, some U.S politicians are also questioning the necessity to extend the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) which expires in 2021. "We consider such considerations short-sighted and dangerous. A return to the philosophy of preserving peace based on the concept of mutually assured destruction does not meet the realities of the 21st century," Lavrov said. Noting that the two countries need to cooperate on threats and challenges including terrorism, regional crisis and climate issues, Lavrov said Moscow is ready to build a mutually beneficial partnership with Washington. | 
