Dangerous Escalation? Why Russia Abruptly Quit 1987 Nuclear Pact With U.S. After Trump’s Submarine Threat

Moscow blames U.S. missile deployments and “direct threats” for exiting the Cold War-era INF Treaty, deepening tensions as Trump sends nuclear subs and issues fresh ultimatums over Ukraine.

Photo: Reuters

Moscow/New Delhi: Russia has formally stepped away from what once stood as a cornerstone of global arms control. On Monday (August 4), the Russian Foreign Ministry announced that the country no longer considers itself bound by the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, an agreement signed in 1987. The decision was framed as a direct response to what Moscow described as the growing danger posed by Western military actions.

The ministry said conditions that once justified the self-imposed restrictions under the INF Treaty “no longer exist”. It now views those limits as outdated.

“The Russian Foreign Ministry notes the disappearance of conditions for maintaining the unilateral moratorium on the deployment of similar weapons and is authorised to state that Russia no longer considers itself bound by the corresponding self-imposed restrictions previously adopted,” read the ministry’s statement.

This latest move follows the deployment of American missile systems, including the Typhon launcher in the Philippines and test launches during military exercises in Australia. Russian officials said these deployments were critical in shaping their decision.

The INF Treaty was signed by the United States and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) during the Cold War to eliminate ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles within a range of 500 to 5,500 kilometres. The United States withdrew from the treaty in 2019, citing alleged Russian violations. Moscow denied those claims and countered that Washington had already begun developing weapons that were outlawed under the pact. President Vladimir Putin had warned that the collapse of the treaty would damage global stability.

The atmosphere between Moscow and Washington remains tense. Last week, U.S. President Donald Trump said he had ordered two nuclear submarines to be deployed “in appropriate regions”. He claimed the move was a response to “highly provocative comments” from former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.

Trump did not clarify the type of submarines or their specific location.

On Monday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, as reported by AFP, “Russia is very attentive to the topic of nuclear non-proliferation. And we believe that everyone should be very, very cautious with nuclear rhetoric.”

The friction intensified after Trump issued an ultimatum demanding Russia end its war in Ukraine or face sweeping sanctions.

Former Russian President and Putin loyalist Medvedev reacted, “Each new ultimatum is a threat and a step towards war. Not between Russia and Ukraine, but with his own country.”

Trump responded in an interview with Newsmax, saying, “When you talk about nuclear, we have to be prepared… and we are totally prepared.”

In the middle of the rising tensions, Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to arrive in Moscow this week. His visit comes just days before the U.S. president’s August 9 deadline to respond to Russia’s refusal to de-escalate. With Moscow now officially discarding the last remnants of the INF framework, the window for diplomacy appears to be narrowing further.