Trump Administration Plans withdrawal from the INF Treaty

National Security Advisor John R. Bolton is directed to warn the Russian President Putin that the US will be leaving the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF).

Ever since the Obama Administration, the US has been accusing Russia of the violation of the treaty. The INF Treaty is a US-Soviet treaty signed by Reagan and Gorbachev. It bans all intermediate-range and land-based cruise missiles with a range between 500 and 5,500 kilometers from Europe. The treaty was historic since it was made as a way to reduce the risk of war with Europe, thereby signaling the end of the Cold War. However, for the past four years, the US has argued about a violation of the treaty because they claim that Russia is deploying tactical nuclear weapons in order to intimidate and threaten European nations and Soviet states.

In addition to Russia supposedly violating the treaty, the Trump Administration wants to leave the treaty because it limits the flexibility of deploying new arsenal. More specifically, the US is planning to leave the treaty so that they can counter a Chinese arms buildup. China is building up their missiles as a way to assert their dominance in the Western Pacific and to keep American Naval Forces at bay. Because China was not a signatory to the INF Treaty, they have no limitations as to what kind of weaponry they can or cannot build.

There are many officials who are against withdrawing from the treaty. Eliot Angel, a representative of New York from the House of Foreign Affairs Committee, says that “withdrawing from the INF Treaty before adequately consulting our allies and exploring diplomatic avenues to resolve Russia’s violations jeopardizes American and European Security.” Additionally, he says that the withdrawal will be a win for Russia and provide a means for the US to expand its military arsenal. Jon Wolfsthal, a nuclear expert on the National Security Council during the Obama Administration, says that “this will be another hand grenade in the middle of NATO to split the Allies.”

How do you feel about the US claiming to leave the INF Treaty?

Will leaving this treaty increase the Cold War-like tensions between the United States, Russia, and China?

Sources:
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/19/us/politics/russia-nuclear-arms-treaty-trump-administration.html
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/oct/19/trump-tell-russia-us-pull-out-nuclear-treaty/