US senators urge Trump not to withdraw from INF Treaty with Russia

Several U.S. senators have expressed concern with President Donald Trump expressed intention to pull the United States out of the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty.

The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty is an arms control agreement between the United States and Russia, then the Soviet Union, signed in 1987 by President Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev. It eliminated all intermediate and short range nuclear and conventional missiles but does not cover sea-launched missiles. Overall, 2,692 missiles were eliminated. In October, Trump announced his intention to withdraw from the treaty citing Russia’s non-compliance.

“While we understand the challenges of getting Russia to reverse its violation of the INF Treaty, the Administration’s sudden decision to withdraw unilaterally is a political and geostrategic gift to Russia,” the senators wrote in a letter to Trump. “It takes the focus away from Russia’s transgressions and malign behavior and instead feeds a narrative that the United States is willing to shred our commitments unilaterally without any strategic alternative. Additionally, it allows Russia to expand the production and deployment of its intermediate range missile system, the 9M729, which will further menace Europe.”

The letter — signed by Sens. Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Jack Reed (D-RI), and Mark Warner (D-VA) – stated the INF Treaty has been a cornerstone of the European security architecture for over thirty years.

“The United States withdrawal from the INF Treaty also threatens to exacerbate tension in relationships with our European allies, particularly those in NATO,” the letter stated. “This decision, taken without coordination with foreign partners, once again shows an eagerness to take unnecessary unilateral actions over the objections of our closest allies to the serious detriment of European security and stability,” they wrote.

The senators urged Trump to engage with Congress before taking steps to withdraw or suspend participation in the INF Treaty.

“Given the lack of strategic forethought and planning apparent in the hasty decision to withdraw from the INF Treaty, we believe it is important for the U.S. government to re-emphasize the integral nature of effective arms control as a part of nuclear deterrence and strategic stability,” the senators wrote. “We do not believe that the degradation of our arms control agreements that have provided strategic stability for decades serves U.S. security interests or those of our allies and partners.”