On 15th of January, BASIC’s Nuclear Policy Analyst Maxwell Downman submitted evidence to the House of Commons, Defence Select Committee Inquiry into the INF Treaty. He highlighted the risks of the collapse of the INF Treaty leading to a new nuclear arms race and damage wider non-proliferation diplomacy internationally. The INF Treaty crisis is part of a broader deterioration of bilateral relations, in part caused by the United States withdrawal from the ABM Treaty in 2002 and Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014. Yet, more needs to be done to engage Russia on the INF Treaty within the confines of the Treaty. Amongst a number of initiatives, the UK could propose mutual technical inspections of alleged INF Treaty violating systems to restart a dialogue on compliance and restore confidence in the Treaty.
