Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced Dec. 4 that the United States has found Russia in material breach of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty and “will suspend our obligations as a remedy, effective in 60 days unless Russian returns to full and verifiable compliance.”
In a separate statement, the NATO foreign ministers declared that they “strongly support the finding of the United States that Russia is in material breach of its obligations under the INF Treaty.”
They added, “Russia’s violation of the INF Treaty erodes the foundations of effective arms control and undermines Allied security.”
The decision comes after the United States and its NATO allies have repeatedly raised concerns over the past five years with the Russian government regarding the development and fielding of the Russian-designated 9M729 ground-launched cruise missile and urged Moscow to return to compliance with the treaty.
The 9M729 missile’s range is in violation of the INF Treaty’s limitations, and the deployment of multiple 9M729 missile battalions poses a significant risk to the United States and its European allies.
The U.S. remains in full compliance with its obligations under the INF Treaty, as affirmed by our NATO allies in a NATO summit declaration in July.
Read the full story from The Daily Signal
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