With an estimated14,000 nuclear weapons in the world today, the debate over the future of US-Russia arms control is the one that quite literally affects the fate of humanity.
President Donald Trump on Friday officially announced to terminate the longest standing nuclear treaty, which has regulated nuclear warheads between US and Russia since the Cold War. An end to a 32 year-long arms control treaty between the US and Russia raises concerns for the future of nuclear weapons.
Brokered by U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, Intermediate-Range Nuclear Weapon (INF) Treaty is a landmark 1987 arms control treaty that eliminated an entire class of deployed nuclear-capable missiles at the end of the Cold War.
Trump in October 2018 announced that the US will pull out from the treaty, due to serious violations from Russia.
Russia is accused by the US and its NATO allies for building a land-based cruise missile- The Novator 9M729- that is believed to have a range of 500 to 5,500 kilometer.
Russia, on the other hand, denies all accusations put forward by the United States.
While blaming Russia, the US has also cited a possible threat from China, as another reason for ending the pact.
China has a large number of intermediate-range missiles, and Washington plans to start testing the new intermediate-range missiles in summer 2020 to offset China, according to insider sources.
United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has expressed his ‘deep regret’ of the INF treaty. In a statement issued by his spokesperson, the UN chief recalled that he had “consistently called on both the United States and Russian Federation to resolve their differences through the consultation mechanisms provided for in the treaty, and regrets they have been unable to do so.”
“August 2nd marks the demise of the INF, which played a major role in enhancing stability in Europe,” said Laura Kennedy, the former US representative on disarmament in Geneva. “Its termination could be both unsettling in Europe and could lead to new arms competition in other areas, such as Asia.”
The demise of the INF comes amid nuclear weapon up-gradation programs being carried out by the US and Russia.
After the collapse of the INF, the last remaining arms control treaty between the US and Russia over arms control is the 2010 New Start agreement. But, it is due to end in 2021 and there is no evident chance of its extension.
