US Pulling Out of the INF Treaty with Russia 

By Staff, Agencies

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced Friday that the United States will suspend participation in the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces [INF] Treaty -- an agreement the US signed with Russia in 1987 that helped slow the arms race.

In his announcement, Pompeo claimed that Russia violated the treaty for years "without remorse," adding, "It is our duty to respond appropriately."

But instead of working with our allies to craft a comprehensive plan to hold Russia accountable and pressure it back into compliance, the Trump administration has offered Russia an easy way out.

The INF treaty, signed by US President Ronald Reagan, limits ground-launched nuclear and conventional missiles with ranges between 500 and 5,500 km.

By eliminating an entire category of missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons to nearly all of Europe, this treaty helped ease the nuclear arms race during the Cold War while substantially reducing the risk of nuclear war in Europe.

According to a report obtained by Breaking Defense, the US has since 2013 considered the INF-range missiles it might develop should the treaty collapse. These missiles would require deployment in Europe -- which some NATO allies will certainly oppose.