The war in Ukraine may have been triggered by the United States violating a long-standing agreement with Russia.

On December 8, 1987, President Ronald Reagan and Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev signed the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, which banned the deployment of ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges between 500 and 5,500 kilometers (310–3,420 miles). This treaty required the destruction of nearly 2,700 missiles by 1991, significantly reducing nuclear tensions between the two superpowers. For decades, the INF Treaty helped maintain peace in Europe by preventing both sides from stationing short- and medium-range nuclear weapons near each other’s borders.

The U.S. Deployment of Aegis Ashore in Europe
The treaty remained intact until 2016, when the Obama administration deployed the U.S. Aegis Ashore missile defense systems in Romania and potentially Poland. These installations were officially designed to defend against missile attacks from countries like Iran, but Russia saw them as a direct violation of the INF Treaty. From Moscow’s perspective, these systems could easily be modified to launch offensive missiles, posing a serious threat to Russian security. Adding to Russian concerns, NATO expansion continued, with more Eastern European countries—including the Baltic states, Poland, and Romania—joining the alliance and moving closer to Russia’s borders.

Russia’s Response: Deployment of the 9M729 Missile
In 2017, Russia responded to the U.S. missile defense expansion by deploying the 9M729 missile (NATO designation: SSC-8) at various locations near European borders. While exact locations remain classified, NATO had the gaul to viewed this move as a major escalation, yet they did not view the US placing the Aegis Ashore missile defense systems in Romania  as a major escalation. 

The 9M729 missile allegedly has a range exceeding 500 km, which would mean that Russia was now in violation of the INF Treaty. This missile could carry both conventional and nuclear warheads, making it a serious threat. However, Russia claimed its actions were simply a response to the U.S. moving first, arguing that America had already broken the treaty by placing weapons in Eastern Europe. Some even speculate that Russia intentionally provoked the U.S. into taking the first step, giving Moscow an excuse to deploy its own banned weapons in return.

The U.S. Withdrawal from the INF Treaty
In 2019, the U.S. officially withdrew from the INF Treaty, with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stating that Russia had failed to comply due to its deployment and testing of the SSC-8 (9M729) missile. However, concerns about Russian noncompliance had been raised earlier. In 2013, the Obama administration reported suspicions that Russia was violating the treaty but failed to take any action.

The situation became even more complex in 2014, when Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine. The Obama administration’s response was minimal, leading some to believe that either the U.S. lacked the will to confront Russia, or that it did not consider Crimea a strategic priority. Russia may have interpreted this as weakness and moved forward with further military actions, including the deployment of missiles that eventually contributed to the collapse of the INF Treaty.

Conclusion: A Chain Reaction Leading to War
Obama initiating the collapse of the INF Treaty set off a chain reaction of military escalations between the U.S. and Russia. The U.S. deployed missile defense systems in Eastern Europe, Russia responded with its own banned missiles, and the U.S. withdrew from the treaty entirely. Meanwhile, NATO continued expanding, and tensions over Ukraine’s sovereignty and rare earth metals added to the growing conflict.

Whether the U.S. was justified in its actions or violated the treaty first, the situation ultimately pushed Russia toward further aggression. This sequence of events may have played a crucial role in the outbreak of war in Ukraine, as Russia sought to secure its strategic interests in response to what it saw as a growing Western threat.

Right now, the only one who can end this war is President Trump. Keep him in your prayers as he strives to end the loss of precious lives on boths sides. 

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