Russia abandons moratorium on deployment of short, intermediate-range missiles
Moscow is ending its unilateral moratorium on the deployment of short- and intermediate-range missiles, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced on Aug. 4.
Under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, the U.S. and Russia agreed not to deploy short- and intermediate-range ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles. The U.S. withdrew from the INF in 2019, after which Russia maintained that it would not deploy such missiles as long as Washington did not either.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said on Aug. 4 that it no longer considered itself bound by the moratorium due to recent actions by the U.S.
"Since the situation is developing towards the actual deployment of U.S.-made land-based medium- and short-range missiles in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region, the Russian Foreign Ministry notes that the conditions for maintaining a unilateral moratorium on the deployment of similar weapons have disappeared," the ministry said in its statement.
The announcement is the latest signal of heightening tensions between the Kremlin and Washington as U.S. President Donald Trump's peace deal deadline nears.
Trump, who initially signaled a desire to improve relations with Russia, has recently toughened his rhetoric towards Moscow following a dramatic escalation in aerial strikes against Ukraine throughout spring and summer.
Trump announced on July 29 that tariffs on Russian exports would be implemented within 10 days if the Kremlin failed to end its war in Ukraine. Moscow now has until Aug. 8 to make a peace deal under Trump's new deadline.
The U.S. also moved its nuclear submarines "closer to Russia" in response to threatening rhetoric from former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, Trump said on Aug. 2.
During his first term as president, Trump formally withdrew the U.S. from the INF, citing Russian noncompliance and a Chinese arms buildup. The treaty, originally signed between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, banned both nations from deploying missiles with with ranges between 1,000-5,500 km (620-3,420 miles) and 500-1,000 kilometers (310-620 miles).
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in December 2024 that Moscow would reassess its commitment to the moratorium due to "destablizing actions" from the U.S.
"The U.S. has arrogantly ignored the warnings of Russia and China and in practice has moved on to the deployment of weapons of this class in various regions of the world," Lavrov said.
