Russia Ends Moratorium on Intermediate-Range Nuclear Missile Deployment

Moscow cites U.S. and NATO actions as justification for abandoning Cold War-era arms control measures.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov confirmed the end of the country's self-imposed ban on deploying intermediate-range nuclear-capable missiles.
The moratorium was initially introduced after the U.S. withdrew from the INF Treaty in 2019, citing alleged Russian violations, which Moscow denied.
Lavrov accused the United States of deploying similar weapons globally and dismissed the possibility of arms control talks under current conditions.
The move signals the further erosion of Cold War-era arms control agreements, with the New START Treaty set to expire in February 2026.
Russia recently tested its new intermediate-range hypersonic missile, 'Oreshnik,' and plans to mass-produce and deploy it, including in Belarus.