City
Epaper

US set to pull out of nuclear treaty with Russia

By IANS | Published: August 02, 2019 12:54 PM

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

InternationalTornado in US: Twisters Tear Across America's Heartland, Leaving Catastrophic Destruction in Many States; Disturbing Visuals Emerge

HealthBird Flu in US Cows: WHO Warns 'Extremely High' Mortality Rate in Humans As H5N1 Spreads to Milk

InternationalRussian President Vladimir Putin Says, Plans to Visit China Next Month: Report

InternationalRussian Deputy Defence Minister Timur Ivanov, Detained on Bribery Charges

EntertainmentTaylor Swift's New Album 'The Tortured Poets Department' Breaks Records with Over 55.2 Crore First-Day Streams

International Realted Stories

InternationalIndia is trustworthy partner for Nepal's development: Union Minister Piyush Goyal

InternationalIsrael agrees to listen to US concerns before launching Rafah offensive

InternationalJUI-F to launch freedom movement to abolish "imposed system" in Pakistan: Maulana Fazlur Rehman

InternationalInternational Booksellers Conference concludes, providing a roadmap for the industry

InternationalTaiwan detects 22 Chinese military aircraft crossing median line of Taiwan Strait