The United States withdrew from a landmark 1987 nuclear pact with Russia after it found Russia failing to comply with the deal.
The pact, known as the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty, bans either the U.S. or Russia from stationing short or intermediate-range missiles in Europe. The U.S. had threatened six months prior to the Friday withdrawal that it would pull out of the INF if Russia didn’t begin to follow the strictures of the treaty.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement that Russia’s noncompliance with the deal constitutes a “direct threat” to U.S. interests.
“The United States will not remain party to a treaty that is deliberately violated by Russia,” Pompeo said. “Russia’s noncompliance under the treaty jeopardizes U.S. supreme interests as Russia’s development and fielding of a treaty-violating missile system represents a direct threat to the United States and our allies and partners.”
It is alleged that Russia has placed battalions of cruise missiles around the country that could reach Europe, which would be a violation of the treaty. Moscow firmly denies the claim and said that the location of the missiles put Europe outside the range that it could strike.
The INF treaty was historically signed in 1987 in the White House when President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev sat side-by-side as they put pen to paper. The treaty helped assuage fears and the ability of either country to launch a nuclear weapon at very short notice.
Friday’s move comes just weeks before the U.S. reportedly plans to test a new missile that would have been banned under the 32-year-old pact.
