Russia is officially backing away from any pretense of abiding by the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, with the country's Foreign Ministry announcing that it "no longer considers itself bound" by the treaty, reports NBC News. The move was accompanied by stark warnings from former president Dmitry Medvedev, now the deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council. Medvedev declared that adversaries face a "new reality" following Moscow's withdrawal from the Cold War-era pact, which banned US and Russian ground-based missiles with ranges between 311 to 3,418 miles. "Expect further steps," he warned, per the New York Times.
The treaty had been in limbo since the US accused Russia of repeated violations and exited the agreement in 2019. Russia's withdrawal comes as Washington prepares to deploy similar missile systems in Europe and Asia. The Kremlin now says it will no longer observe self-imposed limitations on missile deployments, citing what it calls "the result of NATO countries' anti-Russian policy."
Medvedev's remarks extended an ongoing war of words with President Trump, who recently shortened his deadline for Russia to agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine or face fresh tariffs. Trump responded to Medvedev's online threats by ordering the deployment of two US nuclear submarines to unspecified regions, just in case "these foolish and inflammatory statements are more than just that," per NBC.
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A retired US Air Force general who led European Command from 2013 to 2016 said Russia's move on the treaty was fairly predictable, given Trump's pressure on Ukraine. "This is a fairly standard approach Russia takes when they're trying to deter or intimidate the West," Phil Breedlove told the Times. "Every time the West considers a change, like giving new weapons to Ukraine, this is what happens."
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