00:00Force to react because of the United States Putin exits from another nuclear treaty
00:07Why the INF Treaty exit should concern the world?
00:12Russian President Vladimir Putin has now announced that Moscow is prepared to begin manufacturing
00:17of intermediate and shorter-range missile system which previously were prohibited under
00:22the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Force Treaty also known as the INF Treaty.
00:29This Cold War-era agreement, signed in 1987, had banned both the United States and the
00:34Soviet Union from producing and deploying the ground-based ballistic and cruise missile
00:38with range between 500 to 505,000 km.
00:43The INF Treaty was a cornerstone of arms control, helping to reduce tensions in Europe
00:48by eliminating an entire class of nuclear-capable weapons.
00:52However, the treaty began to unravel in recent years.
00:55In 2019, under the presidency of Donald Trump, the United States withdrew from the agreement
01:00accusing Russia of violations, a claim that Moscow denied.
01:05Russia initially also maintained its commitment to the treaty's principle, but now Putin
01:10cites that US actions are the reason for Russia to change its stance.
01:15Putin explained that Russia has already conducted research and development on these missile
01:19systems and is now ready to begin production.
01:23He justified this decision by pointing to US's activities under President Biden, including
01:28the deployment of previously banned missile systems in Europe and the Philippines for
01:32military exercises.
01:34The Russian president emphasized that the decision to resume production is a response
01:37to what he termed as hostile actions by the United States.
01:41He termed that Russia will deploy these new systems based on the actual situation and
01:45if necessary suggesting a cautious approach to their potential use.
01:50The INF Treaty had played a crucial role in maintaining strategic stability, particularly
01:54in Europe.
01:56Its effective collapse now raises concern about the potential new arms race and increased
02:01military tension between the two major powers.
02:04It's important to note that this is not the first arms control agreement that has been
02:08affected in recent years.
02:10Even in February last year, Russia announced its suspension from the participation in the
02:14new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, also known as the START.
02:18This treaty, which limits the deployed nuclear warhead and delivery system for both Russia
02:22and US, was the last remaining major nuclear arms control agreement between the two countries.
02:28Russia's decision to suspend the participation of the new START further complicated the global
02:33arms situation.
02:35While Russia has stated that it will continue to adhere to the treaty's numerical limits,
02:40the suspension of inspection and data exchanges reduces transparency and trust between the
02:45two nuclear superpowers.
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