Nuclear Weapons

(asked on 22nd May 2018) - View Source

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the short and long-term consequences for the UK and Europe of any collapse of the 1987 US–Russian Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty; and what consultation they have had with other European governments to seek to avert such an eventuality and to mitigate its implications.


Answered by
 Portrait
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
This question was answered on 5th June 2018

The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty has made a valuable contribution to Euro-Atlantic security for over 30 years. The Treaty eliminates Russian and US ground-launched missiles with ranges from 500 km to 5,500 km. Neither the US nor Russia has said that they wish to denounce the Treaty, or what they would do if it were no longer in force. We welcome efforts by the US and other NATO Allies to preserve the Treaty.

We have discussed the Treaty with our NATO Allies on many occasions at both Ministerial and official level. The Treaty remains important for security in Europe. NATO has urged Russia to resolve serious concerns about its compliance with the Treaty. NATO remains the world's largest military alliance, and we remain completely confident in its ability to deter and defend against, all threats.

Reticulating Splines