Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty facts for kids

U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev signing the INF Treaty in the East Room at the White House in 1987.

The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (often called the INF Treaty) was an important agreement made in 1987. It was signed between the United States and the Soviet Union. This treaty aimed to get rid of certain types of missiles.

The leaders who signed it were U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev. They signed the treaty in Washington, D.C. on December 8, 1987. The treaty became official on June 1, 1988, after the United States Senate approved it.

What the INF Treaty Did

This treaty made both countries destroy their ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles. These were missiles that could travel between 500 and 5,500 kilometers (about 300 to 3,400 miles). The treaty covered both nuclear and regular (conventional) missiles. The main goal was to reduce the risk of a nuclear war.

Why the Treaty Ended

Over time, problems started to appear with the treaty.

Complaints and Accusations

In 2012, the United States said that Russia (which took over from the Soviet Union) was not following the treaty rules. The U.S. pointed to a new Russian cruise missile, the R-500, as a possible violation.

In 2014, the U.S. officially told Russia about these concerns. Russia, however, said the treaty was unfair to them. They argued that other countries in Asia had similar weapons, but Russia could not. Russia also accused the U.S. of breaking the treaty with its drones.

The Treaty's End

Because of these disagreements, U.S. President Donald Trump announced in October 2018 that the U.S. would leave the treaty. The U.S. officially stopped following the treaty on February 1, 2019. Russia did the same thing the very next day. This meant the INF Treaty, which had been in place for over 30 years, was no longer active.

Images for kids

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  SS-20 launchers

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  Paul Nitze, 1983

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  Protest in Amsterdam against the nuclear arms race between the US/NATO and the Soviet Union

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  Reagan and Gorbachev shake hands after signing the INF Treaty ratification during the Moscow Summit on 1 June 1988.

See also

In Spanish: Tratado sobre Fuerzas Nucleares de Rango Intermedio para niños