Merkley: INF treaty withdrawal would be bad move

Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement regarding reports that the Trump Administration plans to withdraw from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty:

“Fifty-six years ago today, President Kennedy announced a quarantine of Cuba that brought the world to the brink of nuclear war. Our history since that time is one of eliminating the most dangerous weapons, shrinking arsenals, and taking steps to reduce risks of miscalculation.

“This decision by President Trump moves in the other direction. There is no question Russia has acted in bad faith and violated the INF Treaty, which is why there has been a bipartisan consensus to push diplomatic efforts to bring Russia into compliance. We should be reinforcing efforts to strengthen and expand membership in the INF, not scrapping it.”