Washington, D.C.-Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today released the following statement after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced the United States would withdraw from the INF Treaty:

"Russia has violated the INF Treaty for years, while China has stockpiled thousands of missiles that threaten American and allied forces in the Pacific. Withdrawing from the INF Treaty is a good start; now this action must be backed by American firepower. The United States must regain the strategic advantage by expediting the development and deployment of a new generation of ground-launched missiles."

Background: Senator Cotton has long advocated for the United States to bring Russia back into compliance with the INF Treaty or to leave it altogether.

March 2015: Cotton talks about INF Treaty in Maiden Floor Speech

October 2016: Cotton Statement Reports that Russia is Advancing its Missile Program in Violation of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty

February 2017: Cotton, Johnson, Rubio, Poe, and Rogers Introduce Intermediate-Range Forces Treaty Preservation Act

March 2017: Cotton Statement on Reports that Russia Has Deployed a Banned Missile

April 2017: Cotton Op-Ed in the Washington Post: "Russia has subverted our treaty on cruise missiles for years. It's time to act"

July 2017: Cotton Warns Russia to Comply with INF Treaty in CSIS Speech

July 2017: Cotton Questions General Paul Selva on the INF Treaty during Senate Armed Services Committee hearing

December 2017: Cotton, Colleagues Urge Appropriations Committee to fund measures to bring Russia into compliance with INF

March 2018: Cotton Questions Pacific Command Chief Admiral Harry Harris on INF Treaty

October 2018: Cotton Statement on Reports the U.S. is Preparing to Withdraw from INF Treaty

December 2018: Cotton Statement on NATO Confirmation that Russia is in Breach of INF Treaty




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