In his speech at the NATO headquarters in Brussels on December 4, 2018, the US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo stated that at least on 30 occasions since 2013, US has raised the issue of Russia’s non-compliance with the Intermediate-range Nuclear Force (INF) treaty.[1] Pompeo, highlighted Russia’s recent actions in Georgia, Ukraine, Syria and the meddling of Russia in the US elections, as an act of “Russia’s lawlessness on the world stage.” He said that the US declares that it has found Russia in the material breach of the INF treaty and will suspend its obligations as a remedy, effective in 60 days unless Russia returns to a “full and verifiable compliance.”[2] At the same day, the arrival of two Russian Tu-160 strategic bombers in Venezuela, as a part of strengthening bilateral military cooperation,[3] has severely aggravated the already growing Russia-US tensions.
