In a seismic shift for nuclear arms control, Russia’s Foreign Ministry declared on 4 August that it no longer considers itself bound by self-imposed restrictions on deploying land-based intermediate-range (1,000–5,500 km) and shorter-range (500–1,000 km) missiles under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty.
The move signals the definitive end to a pivotal Cold War-era restraint and heightens fears of a renewed arms race in Europe and the Asia-Pacific.
The ministry’s statement cited “the disappearance of conditions for maintaining a unilateral moratorium” due to NATO countries actively deploying such missiles, which it claims create “destabilising missile potentials directly threatening Russia’s security.”
Specific grievances include: US plans to station Typhon and Dark Eagle missile systems in Germany from 2026, the permanent presence of the Typhon system in the Philippines after drills, tests of the PrSM missile in Australia (with future modifications exceeding 1,000 km range) and use of Mk70 launchers in Denmark, and classification of HIMARS/M270 MLRS systems supplied to Ukraine as INF-range ground launchers.
“The decisions concerning specific parameters of responsive measures will be taken by the Russian Federation’s leadership based on an interagency analysis of the scale of deployment of American and other Western ground-based INF missiles,” Russia’s ministry stated.
Collapse of moratorium: from INF Treaty to unilateral restraint
This decision dismantles the last vestige of the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty between the US and USSR. That landmark agreement banned all land-based ballistic and cruise missiles (nuclear and conventional) within the 500–5,500 km range.
It also led to the verified destruction of 2,692 missiles (1,846 by USSR, 846 by US) and 4,000 warheads by 1991.
The treaty collapsed in 2019 after the US, backed by NATO, accused Russia of violating the treaty by developing and fielding the 9M729 (SSC-8) cruise missile. Russia denied the violation and countered that US Mk-41 launchers in Romania breached the treaty.
Russia responded to the US withdrawal by initially adopting a voluntary unilateral moratorium on deploying such systems in September 2019, provided NATO did likewise. Russian President Vladimir Putin reiterated offers for mutual restraint in 2020, which were rejected.
Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov warned in June 2025 that the moratorium was nearing its “logical conclusion” due to unreciprocated Russian restraint and rising Western missile threats. Putin ordered the resumption of INF missile production in 2024, explicitly linking the moratorium’s survival to the cancellation of US deployment plans in Germany. Moreover, Russia’s new Oreshnik ballistic missile, tested against Ukraine in November 2024, is poised for deployment in Belarus, with sites already selected.
Reactions and implications
Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of Russia’s Security Council, framed the move as an inevitable response to NATO policy.
“This is a new reality that all our opponents will have to reckon with. Wait for further steps,” Medvedev stated.
Russia’s declaration lifts a formal barrier, but immediate widespread deployments seem unlikely. The Foreign Ministry emphasised future decisions depend on “the scale of deployment of American and other Western ground-based INF missiles” and the “overall development of the international security situation.”
Potential early deployments could focus on Belarus or Kaliningrad, directly countering planned US systems in Germany.
This move fundamentally alters Euro-Atlantic and Asia-Pacific security dynamics, reviving Cold War-era fears of short nuclear warning times. While Putin stated an arms race “is not our choice,” the demise of the INF Treaty structure and Russia’s moratorium leaves a dangerous vacuum in arms control, with no current framework to limit destabilising weapons.
