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— CH. 1 · ORIGINS AND ESCALATION —

Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty

~6 min read · Ch. 1 of 7
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  • In March 1976, the Soviet Union deployed its first RSD-10 Pioneer missile system in European territories. Western analysts called this weapon the SS-20 Saber. It was a mobile unit capable of carrying three nuclear warheads with a yield of 150 kilotons each. The range of these missiles stretched across Western Europe from deep inside Soviet borders. This deployment replaced older systems like the SS-4 Sandal and SS-5 Skean that had been less accurate and harder to conceal. NATO leaders viewed the new Soviet capability as an offensive threat rather than a defensive one. Chancellor Helmut Schmidt of West Germany spoke publicly about the need for a response in 1977. His speech pressured the United States government into developing countermeasures. By December 1979, foreign ministers from NATO nations met in Brussels to make the Double-Track Decision. They agreed to remove some existing theater nuclear warheads while pursuing negotiations. If talks failed, they planned to deploy Pershing II launchers and Ground Launched Cruise Missiles across several European countries starting in December 1983.

  • Formal discussions between Washington and Moscow began on the 30th of November 1981. Paul Nitze led the American delegation after being recruited by Secretary of State Alexander Haig. Yuli Kvitsinsky headed the Soviet team from their embassy in West Germany. These two men met six times over two years with little progress. In the summer of 1982, Nitze and Kvitsinsky took a walk through the Jura Mountains away from official Geneva meetings. Their goal was to bypass bureaucratic hurdles and find common ground. Nitze proposed limiting US deployments to 75 cruise missiles while allowing the Soviets 75 launchers in Europe and 90 in Asia. The Office of the Secretary of Defense opposed this plan because it allowed Soviet missiles in Europe. President Reagan ultimately rejected the proposal after pressure from Richard Perle and others within his administration. By November 1983, the first Pershing II missiles had arrived in West Germany. The Soviet Union ended all negotiations shortly thereafter. Thomas Graham later recalled that the Walk in the Woods idea remained known only to a few senior officials before its failure.

  • Mikhail Gorbachev became General Secretary of the Communist Party in March 1986. Negotiations resumed covering both INF systems and space issues during August and September of that year. A summit between Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev took place on October 11 and 12, 1986 in Reykjavík. Both leaders agreed in principle to remove intermediate-range systems from Europe and set global limits at 100 warheads each. Helmut Kohl, Chancellor of West Germany, removed joint US-West German Pershing 1a systems in August 1987. This decision helped clear political obstacles for final agreement. The treaty text was finalized in September 1987. On the 8th of December 1987, Reagan and Gorbachev signed the document at a Washington summit. The United States Senate approved ratification by a vote of 93 to 5 on the 27th of May 1988. Both nations officially ratified the agreement on the 1st of June 1988. Margaret Thatcher played a key role in brokering these talks between Reagan and Gorbachev during 1986 and 1987.

  • By the 1st of June 1991, a total of 2,692 missile systems had been destroyed under the treaty terms. The United States dismantled 846 units while the Soviet Union eliminated 1,846. Specific weapons like the BGM-109G Ground Launched Cruise Missile and Pershing II were decommissioned. Soviet systems including the SS-20 Saber and SS-23 Spider also disappeared from inventories. A decade-long inspection regime followed the destruction phase. Soviet inspectors entered nuclear storage areas at Greenham Common in the UK in 1989. Ambassador Eileen Malloy oversaw arms control efforts at the US Embassy in Moscow during early 1990 inspections. Inspection activities continued until the 31st of May 2001 as stipulated by the original 13-year agreement. Special Verification Committees met 30 times with the final session occurring in November 2016 in Geneva. These meetings included representatives from Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia, Ukraine, and the United States discussing compliance obligations.

  • The collapse of the Soviet Union occurred in December 1991 five months after INF disarmament was completed on May 28. The United States focused negotiations with Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Ukraine to preserve START 1 treaty obligations. Twelve post-Soviet states were considered inheritors of treaty responsibilities though only six contained active INF sites. Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Ukraine signed agreements to continue fulfilling INF Treaty requirements. Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan became passive participants due to single inspection sites within their borders. Inspection of missile sites ended on the 31st of May 2001 according to the 13-year schedule. After this date, the United States and Russia shared national technical means of verification. They maintained notifications to ensure each state remained compliant. Thirty total meetings of the Special Verification Committee concluded in November 2016 in Geneva Switzerland.

  • Vladimir Putin gave a speech at the Munich Security Conference in February 2007 calling for the INF Treaty to be revisited. Army General Yuri Baluyevsky stated that Russia planned unilateral withdrawal from the agreement. US officials claimed Russia violated the treaty in 2008 by testing the SSC-8 cruise missile. This weapon has a range exceeding 500 kilometers according to American assessments. Russian authorities rejected these claims stating their maximum range was under 499 kilometers. In 2013 reports emerged about tests involving the road-mobile SS-25 and newer RS-26 ICBMs. NATO formally supported US accusations against Russia in 2018. Vladimir Putin dismissed these charges as pretexts for American withdrawal. A BBC analysis noted that NATO allies shared Washington's concerns while hoping Russia might change its mind during a grace period. Dan Blumenthal wrote in 2011 that China's lack of binding obligations created the real strategic problem for Western policymakers.

  • President Donald Trump announced on the 20th of October 2018 that he would withdraw the United States from the treaty. He cited Russian non-compliance regarding the development of an intermediate-range cruise missile known as the SSC-8. The administration also pointed to Chinese arms buildup in the Pacific including within the South China Sea. China remained outside the original agreement framework. The US formally suspended compliance on the 1st of February 2019 following Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's announcement. Russia suspended its own participation the next day in mirror response. On the 2nd of August 2019, the Trump administration officially withdrew from the INF Treaty. That same day, the Department of Defense announced plans to test a new type of missile violating previous restrictions. John R. Bolton held meetings with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu in Moscow on the 23rd of October 2018. The Pentagon conducted a test firing of a conventionally configured ground-launched medium-range cruise missile on the 18th of August 2019. Mikhail Gorbachev criticized the decision stating it marked the start of a new arms race.

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Common questions

What was the SS-20 Saber missile system deployed by the Soviet Union in 1976?

The SS-20 Saber was a mobile unit capable of carrying three nuclear warheads with a yield of 150 kilotons each. It had a range stretching across Western Europe from deep inside Soviet borders and replaced older systems like the SS-4 Sandal and SS-5 Skean.

When did Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev sign the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty?

Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev signed the document at a Washington summit on the 8th of December 1987. The United States Senate approved ratification by a vote of 93 to 5 on the 27th of May 1988, and both nations officially ratified the agreement on the 1st of June 1988.

How many missile systems were destroyed under the INF Treaty terms by June 1991?

By the 1st of June 1991, a total of 2,692 missile systems had been destroyed under the treaty terms. The United States dismantled 846 units while the Soviet Union eliminated 1,846 specific weapons including the BGM-109G Ground Launched Cruise Missile and Pershing II.

Why did Russia withdraw from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty in 2019?

Russia suspended its own participation following US accusations that it violated the treaty in 2008 by testing the SSC-8 cruise missile with a range exceeding 500 kilometers. Vladimir Putin dismissed these charges as pretexts for American withdrawal after President Donald Trump announced his intention to leave the treaty on the 20th of October 2018.

What happened to inspection activities under the INF Treaty after 2001?

Inspection activities continued until the 31st of May 2001 as stipulated by the original 13-year agreement. After this date, the United States and Russia shared national technical means of verification and maintained notifications to ensure each state remained compliant.

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All sources

88 references cited across the entry

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