UPDATE – US confirms Russia of withdrawal from arms control pact

UPDATES WITH US NOTE CONFIRMING WITHDRAWAL; REVISED HEADLINE, DECK, LEDE </p> <p>By Elena Teslova</p> <p>MOSCOW (AA) – The U.S. has confirmed to Russia its earlier announced intention to withdraw from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, Russia said on Tuesday.</p> <p>A diplomatic note confirming the U.S. move was transferred through high-level political channels, said Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov in a statement published on the Foreign Ministry website.</p> <p>“Taking note of the U.S. intention to withdraw from the treaty, presented to us through bilateral channels at a high political level as final and not subject to revision, we nevertheless leave open the door for a substantive, constructive and mutually acceptable dialogue on the search for ways to preserve the INF Treaty,” said Ryabkov.</p> <p>Earlier Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned the end of the treaty could lead to a collapse of the system of arms control and non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.</p> <p>Putin said if the problem is the treaty's bilateral character, it could be expanded by including new countries through negotiations and a new pact could be drafted.</p> <p>If the U.S. decides to pull out of the treaty, Putin said: “I think it is necessary to state once again that we will be forced to take additional measures to strengthen our security.&quot;</p> <p>The treaty, signed in 1987 by Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and U.S. President Ronald Reagan, was largely designed to stave off the prospects of nuclear war in Europe.</p> <p>On Oct. 21, U.S. President Donald Trump announced his intention to withdraw from the treaty. </p> <p>