INF Treaty Signed by US and USSR
December 8, 1987 · 20th Century
On December 8, 1987, President Ronald Reagan and Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev signed the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty in Washington DC. The treaty eliminated all US and Soviet ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges between 500 and 5,500 kilometers. It was the first arms control agreement to eliminate an entire class of nuclear weapons rather than merely cap their numbers. By the May 1991 deadline, 2,692 Soviet and 859 American missiles had been destroyed. The treaty included the most stringent verification provisions in arms control history to that point, including on-site inspections at missile production facilities.
Key Figures
Mikhail GorbachevRonald Reagan
Locations
White House
Topics
Cold WarRussiaUSAinternational lawnuclear weaponsarms controldétente
Connected Events — 4 Connections
Extended arms reduction framework established by ABM Treaty Signed by US and USSR
The INF Treaty reflected the broader Cold War thaw that created conditions for East Germany's political crisis Schabowski's Mistaken Press Conference Announcement
Reagan military buildup and subsequent diplomatic pivot with Gorbachev led directly to the INF Treaty eliminating intermediate-range nuclear missiles President Reagan elected
Terminated 32-year treaty established by INF Treaty Collapses — Both Parties Withdraw
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