Nuclear arms treaty with Russia expires

Could a new arms race between the United States and Russia be on the horizon? UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said “the world will lose an invaluable brake on nuclear war” as the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces treaty between the two countries expires on Friday. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo blamed Russia, saying it was “in material breach of the treaty.” Russia’s Foreign Ministry pointed a finger back at America: “The denunciation of the INF treaty confirms that the U.S. has embarked on destroying all international agreements that do not suit them for one reason or another.”

What was the treaty’s purpose? Signed in 1987 by President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, the INF treaty was a crucial step toward nuclear nonproliferation. It prohibited land-based missiles with a range between 310 and 3,410 miles. In February, President Donald Trump started a six-month transition out of the deal, giving Russia until Friday to stop developing and fielding weapons that violate the treaty and threaten the United States and its allies, particularly in Europe.