Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree Monday suspending Russian participation in the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty.
President Trump began a six-month withdrawal from the pact last month. The 1987 treaty was designed to tamp down Cold War tensions by eliminating the development, production, and deployment of ground-based missiles with ranges from 500 to 5,500 kilometers.
The U.S. has accused Russia of violating the INF treaty with “impunity” by “covertly developing and fielding” missile systems in violation of the pact, according to a White House statement.
But Russia denies violating the treaty, instead saying the U.S. is in violation.
The apparent collapse of the agreement has alarmed some. Last month, Putin ordered the deployment of new land-based intermediate-range missile systems in the Asian part of Russia.
The U.S. has seen the pact as a hurdle for responding to Chinese intermediate-range missiles. China is not party to the INF treaty.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg urged compliance with the treaty, telling Radio Free Europe that it has been “a cornerstone for European security for decades.”
Monday’s move comes on the same day that Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph F. Dunford met with Chief of the Russian General Staff Gen. Valery Gerasimov in Austria.
According to a release from the office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the two men “discussed efforts to improve operational safety and strategic stability between the U.S. and Russian militaries.”
“Both leaders recognize the importance of maintaining regular communication to avoid miscalculation and to promote transparency and deconfliction in areas where our militaries are operating in close proximity,” it adds.
