April 18, 2017

Can Trump Handle The Challenge Of Russia's Intermediate Range Nuclear Weapons?

By Jacqueline Ramos

Russia has shown willingness to test the United States’ resolve on many fronts. Though the daily news coverage has highlighted many of these issues, it has failed to adequately cover one crucial case: Russia’s dangerous violation of the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty.

This omission is a mistake. The INF Treaty is the single area where Russia’s recent actions are directly related to the prospect of nuclear war. President Trump must show leadership and address this challenge head-on.

The INF Treaty, signed by President Ronald Reagan and President Mikhail Gorbachev, prohibits the possession, production, and flight-testing of ground-launched nuclear ballistic and cruise missiles with a range of 500 to 5,500 kilometers. The Treaty, which was ratified by the U.S. Senate in 1988, has served as a nuclear arms control cornerstone ever since.

Read the full article at the Independent Journal Review.

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