Russia Signals Intent to Abandon Key Nuclear Pact Amidst Tensions with NATO

Russia has indicated that it may withdraw from the pivotal Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty, which was originally established in 1987. This treaty, established between Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev, required both the United States and Russia to eliminate ground-launched missiles with ranges between 500 and 5,500 kilometers. Senior Russian official Dmitry Medvedev asserted that this potential abandonment is a direct response to the anti-Russian strategies employed by NATO countries, suggesting that this shift signifies a new reality that adversaries must acknowledge. Medvedev also warned that further actions could follow from this decision.

The Russian government has pointed to the recent deployment of U.S. Typhon launchers, capable of launching Tomahawk cruise missiles from the Philippines—indicating a clear threat to Russian security—as a central justification for its stance. Moscow has accused the United States of aiding NATO allies in Europe with the transfer of missile launchers intended for military drills that specifically target Russia. The Russian foreign ministry declared that the evolving scenario of U.S.-made medium and short-range missile deployments in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region has eliminated the feasibility of maintaining a moratorium on the establishment of similar Russian weaponry.

Currently, the only remaining agreement that regulates nuclear weapons between the U.S. and Russia is the New START treaty, which is set to expire in February. This situation intensifies following reports that Russian President Vladimir Putin has relocated several Tu-95MS nuclear bombers, typically employed for operations against Ukraine, closer to Europe. Sources have stated that these bombers have been retrofitted with missiles and that a number were transferred from a base in the Far East to a position nearer to Ukraine.