The Trump administration has decided to fully abandon the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, thus bringing an end to over three decades of strategic stability despite consistent calls from Russia to preserve the accord.
The 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF), which prohibited the deployment of ground-based nuclear weapons with a range of 500 to 5,500 km, was terminated starting 2 August at the initiative of the United States, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Friday.
Washington Moves to Withdraw Unilaterally - Moscow Hits Back
In October 2018, US President Donald Trump announced his intention to tear up the treaty, having accused Russia of violating the accord and said that the US would start developing weapons banned under the agreement.
At the time, Putin warned that the repercussions of the US decision were unpredictable and could result in a global disaster due to an increasing trend of lowering the threshold for the use of nuclear weapons.
The US administration then stated last December that it would suspend its adherence to the accord unless Russia returned to fully "complying" with the treaty within 60 days.
Two months later, Washington announced its withdrawal from the pact in February, accusing Moscow of developing the 9M729 missile that allegedly violates the terms of the international agreement.
Russia has repeatedly denied the allegations that the missile violates the accord, pointing out that the American missile defence systems deployed in Europe can be repurposed for offensive capabilities and therefore are themselves in violation of the treaty.
In a symmetric response, Putin announced that Moscow was also suspending the pact and instructed his ministers to refrain from initiating talks with Washington on the matter and emphasised that the US needed to show readiness for an equal and constructive dialogue.
Pompeo Accuses Russia of Being Responsible for the INF Collapse
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has confirmed the US withdrawal from the INF treaty and claimed that Russia "bears sole responsibility" for the collapse of the 1987 accord.
Reuters earlier cited several unnamed senior officials in the Trump administration as saying that the initial test of planned conventional US intermediate-range missile will be conducted in the coming months.
The sources later clamed that Moscow had deployed "multiple battalions" of a Russian cruise missile throughout the country in violation of the pact, including in western Russia, "with the ability to strike critical European targets".
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov earlier called on the United States to implement a moratorium on deploying intermediate-range nuclear missiles, now that the deal is dead.
US to Test Non-INF Compliant Missile Set to Counter Russia in Europe in Coming Weeks - Report
UK Foreign Secretary Raab Accuses Russia of Causing Nuclear Treaty Collapse
UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has claimed that Russia caused the collapse of the nuclear treaty, saying that contempt for rules threatens European Security.
Belgium Calls on Russia, US to Extend New START Treaty, Engage in Active Dialogue
Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders regrets the termination of the Intermediate Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty and urges Russia and the United States to prolong the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) and engage in a dialogue on stabilisation measures, the ministry said in a statement.
According to the statement, Reynders regrets the termination of the INF Treaty because he considered the accord to be landmark deal that provided Euro-Atlantic security for many years.
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