Russia has formally withdrawn from the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, declaring it no longer considers itself bound by the pact banning ground-launched missiles with ranges between 500 and 5,500 kilometers. Moscow’s announcement on August 4 cited escalating security threats from U.S. deployments in Europe and the Asia-Pacific, as well as recent American military exercises and the repositioning of nuclear submarines by President Trump. The INF Treaty, signed by the U.S. and the Soviet Union, was a landmark arms control agreement that helped end the Cold War and resulted in the destruction of over 2,600 missiles. Russia had observed a unilateral moratorium on such deployments after the U.S. withdrew from the treaty in 2019, but stated that recent Western missile activities have nullified the rationale for restraint. Former President Dmitry Medvedev warned of “further steps,” stoking fears of renewed arms races and increased nuclear risk. Experts warn that this shift erodes remaining arms control frameworks and sharply increases the likelihood of miscalculation and regional instability across Europe and Asia.