NATO accuses Russia of violating landmark missile treaty

The landmark treaty was signed by Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev. Beyond Russia's violations, one of the key arguments for withdrawal is that the U.S. will need every tool at its disposal, including ground-launched missiles that are banned under the treaty, to confront the military rise of China.

From the NATO statement:

• "For over five years, Allies and the United States in particular, have repeatedly raised their concerns with the Russian Federation, both bilaterally and multilaterally. ... Russia has responded to our concerns with denials and obfuscation. Russia only recently acknowledged the existence of the missile system, but without providing the necessary transparency or explanation."
• "Russia's violation of the INF Treaty erodes the foundations of effective arms control and undermines Allied security. This is part of Russia's broader pattern of behavior that is intended to weaken the overall Euro-Atlantic security architecture."

• "We call on Russia to return urgently to full and verifiable compliance. It is now up to Russia to preserve the INF Treaty."

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