Russia’s Formal Exit from the INF Treaty
- TPP
- Aug 5
- 3 min read
Russia ends its observance of the 1987 INF Treaty, citing U.S. missile deployments and NATO activities as direct threats to national security.
Russia has officially declared that it no longer considers itself bound by the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, a Cold War-era agreement that served for decades as a foundation of arms control between the United States and the Soviet Union. The decision follows years of diplomatic deterioration between Moscow and Washington, accompanied by missile deployments, mutual accusations, and growing security concerns.
The INF Treaty was signed on December 8, 1987, in Washington, D.C., by U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev. It was the first arms control agreement to eliminate an entire category of nuclear weapons, specifically banning all land-based ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges between 500 and 5,500 kilometers (311 to 3,420 miles).
The treaty did not apply to sea-launched or air-launched missiles, which allowed continued development of systems like the American Tomahawk and the Russian Kalibr cruise missiles.
Between 1988 and 1991, both countries carried out the elimination of 2,692 missiles—1,846 by the Soviet Union and 846 by the United States. The treaty also included detailed on-site inspection protocols to ensure compliance, which became a central part of verifying arms control agreements throughout the post–Cold War period.
The gradual breakdown of the INF Treaty began in February 2019, when the U.S. government under President Donald Trump suspended its participation, alleging that Russia had violated the agreement by developing and testing a prohibited ground-launched cruise missile. Russia denied the allegations and responded by accusing the United States of similar violations. Moscow also cited the U.S. withdrawal from the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty in 2002 as a contributing factor to the erosion of strategic stability.
Following the U.S. withdrawal, Russia stated that it would not deploy intermediate-range systems unless the United States did so first. This unilateral moratorium remained in place until recent developments led to its cancellation.
Russia’s announcement to end its observance of the INF Treaty was made in the context of increasing military activity by the United States and NATO. The Russian Foreign Ministry stated that the treaty’s underlying conditions had "disappeared" and pointed to U.S. deployments of Typhon missile systems in the Philippines and joint missile exercises in Australia during the Talisman Sabre drills as actions that pose a direct threat to Russian security.
According to the Ministry:
“The West's build-up of destabilizing missile potentials creates a direct threat to the security of our country.”
The statement added that Russia would no longer maintain its earlier restrictions on the deployment of intermediate-range systems.
Following this declaration, President Donald Trump reportedly ordered two U.S. nuclear submarines to be moved to unspecified regions near Russian territory. This action was seen as a response to remarks made by Dmitry Medvedev, former President of Russia and now Deputy Chairman of the Security Council.
Medvedev, who has taken on a more assertive stance in recent years, blamed NATO for undermining the INF framework. He stated:
“This is a new reality all our opponents will have to reckon with. Expect further steps.”
He did not specify what those next steps might involve.
Although the treaty ceased to function in 2019, Russia had continued to observe a self-imposed ban on the deployment of short- and medium-range missiles. However, in December 2024, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned that continued U.S. and NATO military activities in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region would require a reassessment.
With the actual deployment of U.S. land-based intermediate-range missile systems in several regions now underway, Russia has concluded that the basis for its moratorium has ended. This move ends more than three decades of restrictions on such missile systems in Europe and Asia.
The dissolution of the INF Treaty removes one of the few remaining arms control mechanisms between the two largest nuclear powers. The original treaty was based on a “zero option” principle, which called for the complete elimination—not just reduction—of specific missile categories. With both Russia and the United States now able to freely develop and deploy these weapons, the possibility of a renewed arms race has increased.
In addition to expanding missile deployments, the lack of an enforceable treaty framework may complicate efforts to prevent further escalation or miscalculation. The presence of such systems in Europe and the Asia-Pacific could increase regional tensions and complicate diplomatic and military communications.
As global crises—including the war in Ukraine and strategic competition in the Indo-Pacific—continue, the collapse of the INF Treaty reflects broader challenges to international arms control and highlights the need for renewed dialogue to manage future risks.
Comments