The United States has been voicing its concerns about Russia's development of a ground-launched cruise missile, known by NATO as the SSC-8 and by Russia as the 9M729, since 2013. The missile is believed to have a range between 500 and 5,500 kilometers, which would violate the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty.
According to U.S. officials, Russia has changed its explanation for the missile multiple times. Initially denying its existence for over four years, Russia only acknowledged the missile after the U.S. publicly identified it by its Russian designator. However, Russia insists that the missile does not exceed a range of 500 kilometers and thus complies with the INF Treaty. Despite this claim, Russia has not provided further information to substantiate its position.
Since 2014, the United States has organized five meetings involving technical experts from both nations to address these concerns. These included sessions of the Special Verification Commission in November 2016 and December 2017, along with bilateral discussions in September 2014, April 2015, and June 2018. During these meetings, U.S. representatives pressed Russia on compliance issues but were met with denials and evasions. In contrast, Russia has not initiated any expert-level meetings on this issue during this period.
The U.S. provided detailed evidence regarding the violation throughout these engagements. This includes information on the missile's test history and technical specifications that demonstrate its non-compliance with treaty terms.
The United States asserts that if Russia intended to comply again with the INF Treaty, there are established procedures within the treaty for eliminating such systems. However, Russia has chosen not to follow these measures.
In addition to breaching the INF Treaty, U.S. officials note that Russia is also violating several other arms control agreements including the Open Skies Treaty and Chemical Weapons Convention.
Meanwhile, "the United States is in compliance with its obligations under the INF Treaty," according to a declaration at a NATO Summit in July 2018. The U.S. has provided comprehensive explanations to confirm their compliance status.
As a response to what it describes as a material breach of the INF Treaty by Russia, "the United States will suspend its obligations under the Treaty effective in 60 days from December 4 unless Russia returns to full and verifiable compliance." The future of the treaty hinges on whether or not Russia decides to adhere fully once again.
The stance of U.S., outlined in their Nuclear Posture Review from earlier this year emphasizes commitment towards arms control efforts that enhance security through verifiable means—an approach which they believe is undermined when only one party abides by an agreement while another violates it.