What did Russia's INF treaty suspension mean for arms control?
A look back at the Russian president's decision, announced days before 4 February 2019, to halt Russia's participation in the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty.
What happened to the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty in the days before 4 February 2019? On 2 February 2019, Russian President Vladimir Putin suspended Russia's involvement in the Cold War-era agreement, and said Russia would now start developing new missiles.
The move was presented as a response to the decision by the United States to withdraw from the treaty. Moscow's step therefore followed Washington's, and the two governments stood on opposite sides of the question of who was leaving the accord.
The episode was widely placed within a broader pattern of strained relations between Russia and the United States. Scholars and journalists have used terms such as Second Cold War, Cold War II and New Cold War to describe heightened geopolitical tensions of the post–Cold War era, usually between the United States and NATO on one side and Russia or China on the other. Some commentators have used those terms as a comparison with the original Cold War, while others have discouraged their use for ongoing tensions.
As of 4 February 2019, the announced direction was clear: Russia had suspended its participation and signalled that it would begin work on new missiles.
