The US will withdraw from the nuclear treaty with Russia next week.
The Trump administration is expected to announce the US withdrawal from the nuclear treaty with Russia next week.
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| US National Security Advisor John Bolton. Photo: Reuters |
The INF Treaty, signed in 1987 between Russia and the United States, banned the development and deployment of ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges of between 500 and 5,500 kilometers. The agreement was supposed to prevent a Cold War-era arms race.
According to the above sources, the US decided to withdraw from the INF due to accusations of Russia violating the treaty. At the same time, the INF seems to be "holding back" the US from deploying new weapons to counter the medium-range arsenal that China is using to increase its influence in the Pacific region.
While the White House says no formal decision has been made on the INF, anonymous sources say National Security Adviser John Bolton will brief Russian President Vladimir Putin on the issue during his visit to Moscow next week. If true, the INF would be the first major arms control treaty the Trump administration has withdrawn the United States from.
The US has accused Russia of violating the INF for the past four years. Former US President Barack Obama decided not to withdraw from the treaty, although he accused Russia of deploying tactical nuclear weapons aimed at deterring former Soviet bloc countries from improving relations with the West.
Mr. Bolton is said to be the one who proposed that Mr. Trump withdraw the US from the INF treaty, according toGuardian.
The US Disarmament Ambassador Robert Wood said on October 4 that they could withdraw from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty with Russia if “Moscow does not stop its violations”. Earlier, the US Permanent Representative to NATO, Ms. Kay Bailey Hutchison, said that the US would consider a military strike to destroy Russia’s new nuclear-capable missiles if they became operational. The official later clarified that she did not mean a preemptive strike against Russia but wanted Russia to comply with the INF or the US would be forced to use its capabilities to defend the US and its NATO allies.
According toAFPThe US believes that Russia's development of the 9M729 missile system is a violation of the agreement, while Russia denies this accusation.
