
Post INF Treaty exit tensions
Why is it in news?
- The Russian President Vladimir Putin warned Washington against deploying any new missiles in Europe following the collapse of a key Cold War-era treaty, saying Moscow would consider it a “serious threat”.
- He also threatened to deploy new missiles against Western capitals.
More in news
- Fears of a new arms race: The U.S. and Russia raised fears of a new arms race when they announced earlier this year that they were pulling out of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty, a 1987 deal that limited medium-range missiles.
- Withdrawal: Washington was the first to announce its withdrawal, accusing Moscow of developing new weapons that violated the treaty.
- Approval rating: The tough talk on missiles seemed aimed at stirring up patriotic support for Mr. Putin, who won re-election last year with more than 76% of the vote but has been recently struggling with dropping poll numbers.
Source
The Hindu