On Aug. 4, Russia announced that it would no longer adhere to a self-imposed “moratorium” on the deployment of missiles previously banned under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, which has been defunct since the U.S. withdrew in 2019 over alleged Russian violations. The INF Treaty, originally signed in 1987 between the United States and Soviet Union, forbade both countries from possessing ground-launched ballistic and cruise missile systems with ranges between 500 and 5,500 kilometers. Now, as Moscow openly resumes its development of such missiles, European members of NATO must respond by ensuring that their own arsenals are sufficiently robust to guarantee peace on the continent.

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On Aug. 4, Russia announced that it would no longer adhere to a self-imposed “moratorium” on the deployment of missiles previously banned under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, which has been defunct since the U.S. withdrew in 2019 over alleged Russian violations. The INF Treaty, originally signed in 1987 between the United States and Soviet Union, forbade both countries from possessing ground-launched ballistic and cruise missile systems with ranges between 500 and 5,500 kilometers.

Now, as Moscow openly resumes its development of such missiles, European members of NATO must respond by ensuring that their own arsenals are sufficiently robust to guarantee peace on the continent.