Moscow( The COW News Digital) In a significant development with far-reaching global security implications, Russia has officially announced its complete withdrawal from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, ending all self-imposed restrictions on the development, testing, or deployment of ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges between 500 km to 5,500 km.
The announcement came through a formal statement by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, declaring that the conditions under which Moscow had voluntarily continued to adhere to the INF obligations had fundamentally changed.
According to the ministry, continued disregard of Russian concerns by the United States and NATO forced Russia to reconsider its position. The statement accuses the U.S. of not only developing banned missile systems but also initiating preparations to deploy such systems across Europe, Asia, and the Indo-Pacific.
“The unilateral compliance with the INF Treaty is no longer viable,” the ministry said, citing persistent security threats and strategic imbalances created by the West. It further claimed that the U.S. has already stationed missile systems in places like Denmark and the Philippines, echoing concerns previously raised by President Vladimir Putin.
The Russian leadership warned that any deployment of U.S. or NATO intermediate-range missiles near Russian borders would be met with “appropriate countermeasures.” While the exact nature of these measures was not disclosed, the language signaled an assertive shift in Russia’s military posture.
Notably, the U.S. had withdrawn from the INF Treaty in 2019, citing alleged Russian violations. Since then, the treaty—originally signed in 1987 between the U.S. and the Soviet Union to curb the arms race during the Cold War—has effectively remained dormant, with Russia unilaterally observing its terms until now.
Analysts fear that the formal collapse of INF obligations could trigger a new arms race, especially in Europe and Asia, where tensions between global powers are already high. The move may also complicate any future arms control negotiations.
The Russian statement concluded by emphasizing that the country’s security would remain the top priority and that its response to Western missile deployments would be “proportional and resolute.”
