Putin Warns of Consequences of U.S. Withdrawal from Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty

Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, warned that with the U.S. withdrawal from arms control treaties, the world faces an increasing threat of nuclear war. Mr. Putin, who attended his annual press conference on Thursday, December 20, emphasized that this potential war could lead to the destruction of all civilization and even our planet. The Russian President added that although the occurrence of a nuclear war currently seems more unlikely, the risk is imminent. He referred to Washington's decision to withdraw from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (1987) and its disinterest in negotiating the New START treaty of 2010, aimed at reducing bilateral nuclear weapons between the United States and the Russian Federation, stating: 'We are witnessing the collapse of arms control mechanisms.' U.S. officials claim that the decision to withdraw from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty is a response to Russia's repeated violations of the treaty. However, Moscow strongly denies any actions towards violating this treaty. Vladimir Putin further emphasized that 'Russia must ensure its security, and they cannot later make noise that we are unilaterally trying to gain superiority.' He added: 'We are not seeking superiority, but we are trying to maintain balance and ensure our security.' On December 4, the U.S. gave Russia 60 days to comply with the conditions and obligations outlined in the Cold War-era missile treaty. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo accused Russia of 'cheating' regarding this treaty and warned that if Moscow does not comply with its obligations, Washington will formally initiate the withdrawal process after two months. The European Union expressed serious concern over this U.S. decision, stating that it could jeopardize European security. Russia has also described it as 'very dangerous.'