The United States and Russia have violated the missile treaty and the tension is rising

The United States and Russia accuse each other of being responsible for the outcome of one of the biggest disarmament agreement Forerunners of the last chapter of the Cold War: the Short and Medium-Range Missile Treaty (INF), which ends today. Although NATO declared Friday that it hopes that after the dissolution of the firm, a "arms raceThe Pentagon badured that his country would accelerate the development of new ground-to-air projectiles.

In the middle of the tense situation, the Russian Foreign Ministry again held the White House responsible. "On August 2, 2019, at the initiative of the United States, the Treaty between the Soviet Union and the United States on the elimination of its missiles at medium and short range is finished"they said in a statement.

On the same tone, but at a regional forum in Bangkok, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that Moscow "is solely responsible the disappearance of the treaty ".

The White House launched a six-month transition period earlier this year to suspend its participation in the INF, which ended Friday. Shortly after the start of Moscow withdrawal processand last month, Russian President Vladimir Putin officially suspended his participation.

The end of the treaty generated fears in European countries. "Europe can not become the theater of a new arms race," said Austria's Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg.

Mistrust

For his part, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said that his country had proposed to the United States a moratorium in the deployment of these nuclear weapons.

"We have proposed to the United States and other NATO members to consider the possibility of announcing a moratorium on the deployment of intermediate-range weapons," Riabkov said in a statement. interview with the Russian agency. TASS.

"This would be a moratorium comparable to that announced by Vladimir Putin, stating that if the United States does not deploy its weapons in some areas, Russia will also refrain from doing so, "he said.

According to this diplomat, however, one should not believe in NATO statements that the North Atlantic Alliance will not deploy this type of weapons.

But mistrust does not only concern the Russian side. From the Atlantic Alliance, they also sent a message: "We do not want a new arms race, but we will make sure that our deterrence is credible".

China in the midst of conflict

In addition to accusing Russia of repeated violations, the United States believed that the pact had given other countries – mainly China – a blank letter to develop your own missiles Long range

Tensions between Beijing and Washington – especially for trade and maritime disputes – took place this week in Bangkok, during which Pompeo sped up the US "Indo-Pacific" strategy to counter power. The Chinese army in Asia.

Pompeo said Friday that his country "was looking for a new era of arms control it goes beyond the bilateral treaties of the past, "asked Beijing to join the discussions.

"The United States calls on Russia and China to join us in seizing this opportunity real security results to our nations and the world, "he said.

INF was considered one of the two key agreements on weapons between Moscow and Washington. The other is the new START treatywhich keeps the nuclear arsenals of both countries well below the peak of the cold war.

This pact expires in 2021 and there seems to be little political will from both countries to renew it. At the same time, China rejected US calls to join the new START in the future.

INF History

When US President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev signed it in Washington on December 8, 1987, this was considered "historical"because it paved the way for a new era in relations between East and West.

There were already other nuclear agreements, including SALT I in 1972 and SALT II in 1979, which limited the amount of ballistic missiles owned by each country. But with the INF Treaty, they committed for the first time to destroy an entire clbad of nuclear missiles

The treaty requires the dismantling of missiles with a range of 500-5,500 kilometers within three years of its entry into force.

Before 1991, he had destroyed 2692 missilesalmost all those of intermediate scope represented just over 4% of the nuclear arsenal of both countries in 1987.

One of the innovations of the INF Treaty concerns the procedures for verifying the destruction by the inspectors of the other country concerned.

Among the US missiles destined to disappear include the famous Pershing IA and Pershing II, which were at the center of the euro missile crisis in the 1980s.

This crisis, following the Soviet deployment of SS-20 nuclear missiles pointing to European capitals, provoked a replica of the NATO that deployed Pershing in Europe, headed to the USSR.

In 1983, a year after it came into force, President Reagan called the USSR "evil empire"After a decade of 1970, which was more oriented towards loosening the two blocs, the cold war reached a new peak.

However, the arrival of Gorbachev in power in Moscow in 1985 and its reforms known as perestroika They ushered in a new era marked by the opening of the dialogue with the United States in the Soviet bloc.

To achieve the signing of the INF Treaty, three summits between Gorbachev and Reagan were required between 1985 and 1987.

The United States officially broke the agreement on Friday, accusing Russia of violating it and being the "sole culprit" of this "failure."

Russia attributed the end of the agreement to Washington's "initiative", renewing its proposal not to deploy missiles prohibited by the treaty if Washington did the same.