Washington/Moscow: US President Donald Trump’s latest strategic decisions have heightened tensions in Europe, with Russia announcing its withdrawal from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty. The move comes after Trump ordered the deployment of two Ohio-class nuclear submarines near Russian waters, prompting Moscow to accuse Washington of undermining nuclear agreements.
Signed in 1987 by then-US President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, the INF Treaty banned ground-launched missiles with ranges between 500 km and 5,500 km to safeguard European nations from potential nuclear threats. Although the US exited the treaty in 2019, citing alleged Russian violations, Moscow continued to observe its terms until now. Analysts warn that the withdrawal of both nations could leave Europe vulnerable to future missile deployments.
Meanwhile, the Kremlin criticized Trump’s recent tariff threats against India, calling them “unjustified pressure.” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that attempts to coerce countries into severing trade relations with Russia are neither lawful nor ethical. Moscow reaffirmed its support for India’s sovereign right to independently decide its trade policies.