Russia Nears End of Moratorium on Intermediate-Range Missiles

Russia is considering ending its unilateral moratorium on deploying intermediate-range and shorter-range missiles, a policy enacted after the U.S. withdrawal from the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty. Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov stated that Moscow is 'forced to respond' to new missile threats and criticized the U.S. and NATO for not reciprocating Russia's restraint. Russia denies violating the INF Treaty, specifically regarding the 9M729 missile, but accuses the U.S. of continuing to develop and deploy banned missile systems, including plans to deploy new missile systems in Europe and Asia. Russian officials, including Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, have reiterated that Russia will not deploy such missiles unless the U.S. does so first, but they warn that the moratorium's end is imminent due to perceived NATO aggression. The situation unfolds amid ongoing tensions over Ukraine and NATO's military positioning near Russia's borders, with Moscow increasing military presence in bordering regions. These developments signal a potential escalation in missile deployments that could destabilize European security and arms control efforts.