April 18, 2017
Can Trump Handle The Challenge Of Russia's Intermediate Range Nuclear Weapons?
Russia has shown willingness to test the United States’ resolve on many fronts. Though the daily news coverage has highlighted many of these issues, it has failed to adequately cover one crucial case: Russia’s dangerous violation of the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty.
This omission is a mistake. The INF Treaty is the single area where Russia’s recent actions are directly related to the prospect of nuclear war. President Trump must show leadership and address this challenge head-on.
The INF Treaty, signed by President Ronald Reagan and President Mikhail Gorbachev, prohibits the possession, production, and flight-testing of ground-launched nuclear ballistic and cruise missiles with a range of 500 to 5,500 kilometers. The Treaty, which was ratified by the U.S. Senate in 1988, has served as a nuclear arms control cornerstone ever since.
Read the full article at the Independent Journal Review.
More from CNAS
-
Defense / Middle East Security
Will Trump Win Iran War With a "Gucci" Strategy?As the Iran war stretches into its fourth week, U.S. President Donald Trump's approach to a war without physical ground entanglements may prove to be impossible. Bloomberg Eco...
By Becca Wasser
-
The U.S. Wants War Without Entanglement. It May Not Exist.
This approach to warfare appears to rest on three pillars: speed, unilateral action and limited violence imposed from a distance....
By Becca Wasser
-
Escalation Spiral? Fears of a 'Forever War' as Both Sides Dig In
Becca Wasser, adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security joins CNN to discuss tactical success versus strategic success in the war in Iran and Iran's capa...
By Becca Wasser
-
The Ties That Bind
Introduction U.S. policymakers have made the revitalization of the U.S. defense industrial base (DIB) a top national security priority and are directing considerable resources...
By Cara Abercrombie