UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres attends a session of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), Russia on June 7, 2019 (Photo: Reuters)

He also expressed his regret over the US’ exit from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty.

Guterres noted that in the current deteriorating international security environment, previously-agreed arms control and disarmament agreements are increasingly under threat. Regardless of what transpires, the parties should avoid destabilizing developments and urgently seek agreement on a new common path for international arms control, he added.

The INF Treaty, which was signed by the former Soviet Union and the US in 1987, required the US and Russia to eliminate and permanently forswear all of their nuclear and conventional ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges of 500 to 5,500 km.