In a last ditch attempt to save the Intermediate Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty
with the United States, Russia has taken the unusual step of putting
their new missile, the 9m729, on display for foreign audiences to
inspect.
The US has accused the Russian missile of violating the INF, though Russia maintains that this is not the case. The missile is on display at a military theme park on the outskirts of Moscow.
At issue is the maximum range of the 9m729. Russia says it has a maximum
range of 480 km, and testing was broadly at the 400 km range. The INF
would forbid the missile if its range exceeds 500 km. The US has argued
that they believe the missile has a longer theoretical range, and is
therefore in violation.
US diplomats were also quick to condemn Russia for the public display of
the missile, declaring it “insufficient” to comply with US demands. The
US had demanded Russia either scrap all such missiles systems, or hand
them over to the US to be dismantled and tested by American forces.
Russia, naturally, has no intention to hand over its newest missile to
the United States to be taken apart. Russian officials have noted that
the US has refused even the static display access they are offering for
certain US-made weapons of concern.
In practice, the US has been planning to withdraw from the INF for some
time, and never intended to accept Russian offers for increased access
to the missile. The suggestion that they must be physically given
missiles to test themselves is a demand intended to be rejected, and to
provide the US with a narrative in which scrapping the deal isn’t their
fault.
Russia Shows Off New Missile in Last Ditch Attempt to Save US Nuclear Treaty
Missile is on display for foreign audience at Moscow theme park
Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.
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