Russia has announced that it will no longer adhere to an important nuclear weapons treaty (INF Treaty). Russia says it will now redeploy medium- and short-range nuclear missiles. This step has been taken at a time when US President Donald Trump ordered the deployment of two nuclear submarines in sensitive areas. Russia called it a “provocative action” by the US.
What did Russia say?
Dmitry Medvedev, former president of Russia and deputy chairman of the Security Council, said: “We are no longer bound by any sanctions or treaties. This is a new reality, which our opponents will have to accept.” The Russian Foreign Ministry also said in a statement: “We will no longer abide by the self-imposed ban that we imposed under the INF Treaty in 2019.”
What was America’s response?
Donald Trump said: “I have ordered the deployment of two nuclear submarines … so that if Russia’s statements have serious consequences, we will be ready. Words matter and they can often inadvertently have serious consequences.”
What is the INF Treaty?
- Full name: Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty
- Signature: 1987 between US President Ronald Reagan and Soviet Union’s Mikhail Gorbachev.
- Objective:
- Ban on land-launched nuclear and conventional missiles with a range of 500 to 5,500 kilometers.
- More than 2,600 missiles were destroyed by the United States and the Soviet Union under this treaty.
How did the collapse of the treaty?
2019: US President Donald Trump accused Russia of violating the treaty and pulled the US out of the treaty. Russia then said that unless America deploys missiles, we will not do it either. But now Russia alleges that the US is deploying missiles again in Europe and Asia, so it will no longer follow that ban.
What does this mean?
- The nuclear arms race could start again.
- Tensions may rise in Europe and Asia as both countries can now deploy missiles.
- Russia’s confrontation with NATO and the US will deepen.
What is the fear of the world?
Many countries fear that this could lead to a new ‘Cold War’-like situation. Europe, already reeling from the Russia-Ukraine war, may come under even more military pressure.