International security

INF withdrawal imperils not just Europe, but US as well

With the US acting as chief prosecutor, the spinelessness of America’s so-called European allies is relevant. Some of them don’t want the US to pull out of the INF Treaty but also don’t have the guts to stand up to Washington.

At this point it seems almost certain the Trump administration will follow through on its threat to pull out of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty. Originally concluded between the US and the USSR in 1987, the treaty was one of President Reagan’s proudest achievements, which in effect eliminated an entire class of nuclear weapons in the range of 500km (310 miles) to 5,000km (3106 miles).

It is unclear, however, how ditching this important part of Reagan’s legacy will make the United States any better off. Doing so would lead to a new arms race in the intermediate range – which Moscow declares its willingness to undertake, however reluctantly – and these new weapons that will have to be paid for.