City
Epaper

US set to pull out of nuclear treaty with Russia

By IANS | Updated: August 2, 2019 13:10 IST

The US is set to formally withdraw from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) with Russia, raising fears of a new arms race.

Open in App

The treaty was signed by President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev in 1987. It banned missiles with ranges between 500 and 5,500 km.

But earlier this year the US and Nato accused Russia of violating the pact by deploying a new type of cruise missile, which Moscow has denied.

Washington, however, says it has evidence that Russia had deployed a number of 9M729 missiles - known to Nato as

SSC-8. This accusation was then put to Washington's Nato allies, which all backed the US claim.

US President Donald Trump had announced in February that Washington would pull out from the pact if Russia didn't come into compliance, and set the deadline for August 2, reports say.

Russian President Vladimir Putin suspended his country's own obligations to the treaty shortly afterwards.

"An invaluable brake on nuclear war" was being lost, warned UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, according to the BBC.

"This will likely heighten, not reduce, the threat posed by ballistic missiles," he added, urging all parties to "seek agreement on a new common path for international arms control".

Analysts fear that the collapse of the historic agreement could lead to a new arms race between the US, Russia and China.

The demise of the INF treaty - the only disarmament pact ever to eliminate a whole category of nuclear weapons - represents a significant setback for advocates of arms control.

( With inputs from IANS )

Tags: RussiausNatowashingtonRonald Reagan
Open in App

Related Stories

InternationalRussia Train Accident: Goods Train Derails and Bursts Into Flames After Colliding With Truck in Smolensk (Watch Video)

InternationalRussia-Ukraine War: Poland Urges Citizens to Urgently Leave Belarus 'By Any Necessary Means'

InternationalIndian-Origin Man Beheaded In US In Front Of Family After Violent Dispute

InternationalPoland Shuts Airports After Russian Drones Sighted in Airspace; Polish Armed Forces Neutralising Flying Objects

InternationalPM Narendra Modi, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin Seen Interacting at SCO Summit 2025 in China

International Realted Stories

International"Pure partisan politics played by Democratic party: White House on US govt shutdown

InternationalAfghanistan restores internet after 72-hour nationwide blackout

InternationalIndia to host Conclave of Army Chiefs of UN Troop Contributing Countries in Delhi from Oct 14-16

InternationalUS should deepen defence ties with India to counter China, says expert

InternationalUKPNP raises alarm over humanitarian crisis in PoJK at UNHRC session in Geneva