Abstract
The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty symbolized the end of the Cold War and the likely termination of thistreaty marks the beginning of a new era. On February 1, 2019, Secretary of State Pompeo announced that the United States(U.S.) would withdrawal from the INF Treaty citing repeated violations by the Russian Federation as cause for withdrawal. Asearly as 2008, U.S. intelligence agencies reported missile testing by the Russian Federation of a cruise missile system that couldhave a range between the limits outlined by the INF Treaty. The Russian Federation has repeatedly denied the allegations andhas suggested that the U.S. is actually in violation. The following manuscript details an overview of the INF Treaty, grievancesfrom both the U.S. and Russian Federation, potential reasons for violations, reasons for withdrawal from the treaty, and poten-tial implications for terminating the treaty. Overall, deployment of intermediate-range missiles by the Russian Federation doesnot change either nation’s limited deterrence stance or hinder second-strike capabilities. However, the missile system beingdeployed by the Russian Federation is dual use. Dual use means that the system can be armed with either conventional ornuclear warheads. The U.S. and Russian Federation must work to ensure clear designation of nuclear and conventional forcesso that if a conflict occurs, strikes do not appear to be reducing nuclear-armed assets and there is no ambiguity if an inboundstrike is from a nuclear armed weapon
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Overview of the United States Withdrawal from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty
The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty symbolized the end of the Cold War and the likely termination of thistreaty marks the beginning of a new era. On February 1, 2019, Secretary of State Pompeo announced that the United States(U.S.) would withdrawal from the INF Treaty citing repeated violations by the Russian Federation as cause for withdrawal. Asearly as 2008, U.S. intelligence agencies reported missile testing by the Russian Federation of a cruise missile system that couldhave a range between the limits outlined by the INF Treaty. The Russian Federation has repeatedly denied the allegations andhas suggested that the U.S. is actually in violation. The following manuscript details an overview of the INF Treaty, grievancesfrom both the U.S. and Russian Federation, potential reasons for violations, reasons for withdrawal from the treaty, and poten-tial implications for terminating the treaty. Overall, deployment of intermediate-range missiles by the Russian Federation doesnot change either nation’s limited deterrence stance or hinder second-strike capabilities. However, the missile system beingdeployed by the Russian Federation is dual use. Dual use means that the system can be armed with either conventional ornuclear warheads. The U.S. and Russian Federation must work to ensure clear designation of nuclear and conventional forcesso that if a conflict occurs, strikes do not appear to be reducing nuclear-armed assets and there is no ambiguity if an inboundstrike is from a nuclear armed weapon