DISINFO: Washington has repeatedly destroyed all mechanisms of arms control
SUMMARY
Washington has repeatedly destroyed all mechanisms of arms control.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative pointing the finger at the US as being responsible for an aggressive and destabilising policy that threatens global security. This narrative is consistent with the recurrent message often spread by pro-Kremlin outlets claiming that the US was solely responsible for the collapse of the INF treaty.
The US remains a party to several historic international arms control and disarmament agreements, from the Outer Space Treaty to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. For a more in-depth list please refer to the UN database.
The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) was signed in 1987 between the US and the USSR and was renewed until 2019.
Following repeated and serious violations of the treaty by Russia, officially denounced by the US and then President Obama, the subsequent Trump administration, still finding violations, decided to withdraw from the agreement in August 2019. As can be seen here, NATO did everything in its remit to encourage Russia to return to compliance before 2 August 2019 so as to preserve the INF Treaty. However, after the last opportunity to honour the Treaty obligations was turned down again by Moscow, the US did, indeed, withdraw from the Treaty. This decision was fully supported by NATO Allies.
In January 2021, the new US President Joe Biden, in agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin, renewed the New Strategic Arms Reductions Treaty (New START) for five years, already in his first days in office, as part of a policy on strategic stability considered of fundamental importance by the US administration to strengthen international security.
On February 3, Secretary of State Blinken said Washington would:
“pursue with the Russian Federation, in consultation with Congress and US allies and partners, arms control that addresses all of its nuclear weapons.”
Read similar cases claiming that American authorities intentionally terminated the INF treaty, and Russia not at fault, that the US is creating conditions for a nuclear conflict, and that the US goal of global hegemony could lead to nuclear war with Russia.