Russia Withdraws from INF Treaty Following U.S. Submarine Deployment

Russia has declared its intention to cease compliance with the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty with the United States, attributing its decision to NATO's "destabilising missile build-up," which it perceives as a threat to its security. This announcement follows closely on the heels of US President Donald Trump's directive to position two nuclear submarines near Russian territorial waters.

According to a statement from the Russian Foreign Ministry, the circumstances that supported the continuation of a unilateral moratorium on the deployment of medium- and short-range missiles have "disappeared" due to actions taken by Western countries in both Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. Dmitry Medvedev, former president and now deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, emphasized this as "a new reality" for adversaries, suggesting additional measures might be forthcoming.

The INF Treaty, established in 1987 by Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and US President Ronald Reagan, prohibited ground-launched missiles with ranges from 500 to 5,500 kilometers. The United States exited the agreement in 2019, citing Russian violations as the cause. While Russia had initially promised not to deploy such weapons unless the US acted first, recent developments involving the US and NATO have led the Kremlin to reassess its previous stance.

This development signifies a further deterioration in US-Russia relations, raising concerns of a potential new missile race affecting both Europe and Asia.