Washington, DC - Timeline of Highlighted U.S. Diplomacy Regarding the INF Treaty Since 2013:
| May 2013 | Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs Donilon and Deputy Secretary of State Burns meeting with Russian Security Council Secretary Patrushev. The United States first raises INF concerns with Russian officials. Russia subsequently denies any noncompliant activities. |
| May 2013 | Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Gottemoeller raises U.S. concerns with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Ryabkov. |
| June 25, 2013 | Russian Ambassador Kislyak provides initial Russian response denying noncompliant activities and reaffirms Russia’s commitment to the INF Treaty. |
| November 16, 2013 | DFM Ryabkov provides final Russian response denying noncompliant activities and reaffirms Russia’s commitment to the INF Treaty. |
| January 2014 | U/S Gottemoeller meeting with NATO Arms Control, Disarmament, and Non-Proliferation Committee. |
| July 31, 2014 | U.S. releases 2014 Compliance Report, finding Russia in violation of the INF Treaty. This marks the first public announcement of the U.S. determination regarding Russia’s violation. Shortly after the report’s release, Secretary of Defense Hagel and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Dempsey discuss the Russian violation with their Russian counterparts. |
| September 5, 2014 | Wales NATO Summit Communique states: “…Allies call on Russia to preserve the viability of the INF Treaty through ensuring full and verifiable compliance.” |
| September 11, 2014 | Per U.S. initiative, bilateral experts meeting takes place. Russia denies the existence of the missile. |
| February 2015 | Secretary of Defense Hagel discusses Russian INF Treaty violations at the NATO Nuclear Planning Group. |
| April 20, 2015 | Per U.S. initiative, second bilateral experts meeting takes place. Russia denies the existence of the missile. |
| May 12, 2015 | Secretary Kerry raises the issue with President Putin. |
| June 5, 2015 | 2015 Arms Control Compliance Report affirms Russia’s continuing violation of the INF Treaty. |
| December 28, 2015 | Secretary Kerry raises the issue with Foreign Minister Lavrov. |
| February 16, 2016 | U/S Gottemoeller meeting with DFM Ryabkov. |
| April 8, 2016 | U/S Gottemoeller meeting with DFM Ryabkov. |
| April 11, 2016 | 2016 Arms Control Compliance Report affirms Russia’s continuing violation of the INF Treaty. |
| June 2016 | Secretary of Defense Carter discusses Russian INF Treaty violations at the NATO Nuclear Planning Group. |
| July 9, 2016 | Warsaw NATO Summit Communique states: “Allies therefore continue to call on Russia to preserve the viability of the INF Treaty through ensuring full and verifiable compliance.” |
| Nov. 15-16, 2016 | The United States convenes the Special Verification Commission for the first time since 2003. |
| December 2016 | The United States briefs allies and partners that U.S. concerns remain unresolved. |
| April 12, 2017 | Secretary of State Tillerson meets with FM Lavrov. |
| April 14, 2017 | 2017 Arms Control Compliance Report affirms Russia’s continuing violation of the INF Treaty. |
| May 8, 2017 | U/S Shannon raises the INF issue with DFM Ryabkov. |
| May 10, 2017 | Secretary Tillerson raises the INF issue with FM Lavrov. |
| June 2017 | Secretary of Defense Mattis discusses Russian INF Treaty violation at NATO Nuclear Planning Group. |
| September 12, 2017 | Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Shannon raises the INF Treaty issue as part of the discussion with DFM Ryabkov at Strategic Stability Talks in Helsinki, Finland. |
| November 2017 | Secretary of Defense Mattis discusses Russian INF Treaty violations at the NATO Nuclear Planning Group. |
| November 3, 2017 | Ambassador Huntsman meets with DFM Ryabkov to inform Russia on the U.S. Integrated Strategy of diplomatic, military, and economic steps the United States will take to encourage Russia to return to full and verifiable compliance with the INF Treaty. |
| November 6, 2017 | NSC Senior Directors Christopher Ford and Fiona Hill meet with Russian Ambassador Antonov to inform Russia on the U.S. Integrated Strategy. |
| November 29, 2017 | NSC Senior Director Christopher Ford publicly announces U.S. assessment that the Russian designator for the SSC-8 missile is “9M729” during remarks at the Wilson Center. |
| December 8, 2017 | The United States announces its INF Treaty Integrated Strategy with press releases, fact sheets, and an interview by U/S Shannon with Kommersant. |
| December 9, 2017 | Russian DFM Ryabkov publicly acknowledges the existence of the 9M729 but claims it is not capable of INF range. |
| Dec. 12-14, 2017 | The United States again convenes the Special Verification Commission. |
| December 15, 2017 | The North Atlantic Council issues a statement highlighting concerns about Russia’s missile development, affirming U.S. compliance, and calling on Russia to engage constructively. |
| December 20, 2017 | U.S. Federal Register publishes final rule for adding Novator and Titan, two companies involved in the development of the SSC-8/9M729, to the Department of Commerce Entity List. |
| February 2, 2018 | NATO High Level Group meeting; the United States requests Allies to engage Russia on INF Treaty violation. |
| February 14, 2018 | Secretary of Defense Mattis discusses Russia’s INF Treaty violation at NATO Nuclear Planning Group. |
| March 5, 2018 | Ambassador Huntsman discusses INF issue with Russian DFM Ryabkov. |
| April 12, 2018 | 2018 Arms Control Compliance Report affirms Russia’s continuing violation of the INF Treaty. |
| May 8, 2018 | NATO High Level Group meeting; the United States requests Allies to engage Russia on INF Treaty violation. |
| June 8, 2018 | Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dunford raises INF concerns with Russian Chief of the General Staff Gerasimov. |
| June 15, 2018 | Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Thompson raises the issue with Russian Ambassador Antonov. |
| June 21, 2018 | Per U.S. initiative, third bilateral experts meeting takes place. Russia refuses further discussion of the violating missile. |
| July 11, 2018 | Brussels NATO Summit Declaration states: “Allies believe that, in the absence of any credible answer from Russia on this new missile, the most plausible assessment would be that Russia is in violation of the Treaty.” |
| August 23, 2018 | Assistant to the President and National Security Advisor Bolton meets Russian Security Council Secretary Patrushev in Geneva. |
| October 4, 2018 | Secretary Mattis engages NATO Allies on Russia’s INF Treaty violation. |
| October 20, 2018 | President Trump publicly states Russia has not adhered to the INF Treaty and that he intends to exit it. |
| October 23, 2018 | Assistant to the President and National Security Advisor Bolton meetings with President Putin, FM Lavrov, and Russian Security Council Secretary Patrushev. |
| October 25, 2018 | NATO North Atlantic Council meeting; the United States engages with Allies on Russia’s INF Treaty violations. |
| October 31, 2018 | NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg comments on the INF Treaty and posts on NATO website: “No arms control arrangement can be effective if it is only respected by one side.” |
| November 8, 2018 | Assistant Secretary of State Poblete, Assistant Secretary of Defense Anderson, and NSC Senior Director Morrison brief Allies at NATO Nuclear Consultation Meeting. |
| December 4, 2018 | Secretary of State Pompeo declares that the United States has found Russia in material breach of the INF Treaty and will suspend U.S. obligations under the treaty as a remedy for Russia’s breach in 60 days unless Russia returns to full and verifiable compliance. NATO Foreign Ministers issue a statement in strong support of the finding that Russia is in material breach of the treaty. |
| January 15, 2019 | Under Secretary of State Thompson discusses the INF Treaty with DFM Ryabkov in Geneva. The United States provides Russia in writing an illustrative framework of steps it would need to take to return to compliance. |
| January 16, 2019 | Under Secretary Thompson briefs NATO and other allies and partners on her January 15 meeting with DFM Ryabkov. |
| January 24, 2019 | NATO High Level Group meeting, U.S. provides Allies an update on INF Treaty engagement and potential next steps. |
| January 25, 2019 | During a NATO-Russia Council meeting, Allies urge Russia again to return to full and verifiable compliance with the INF Treaty. |
| February 1 | Secretary Pompeo announces that in light of Russia’s failure to return to compliance following the U.S. announcement on December 4, the United States will suspend its obligations under the INF Treaty on February 2. He also announces that on February 2 the United States will provide to Treaty Parties a six-month written notice of U.S. withdrawal from the treaty, pursuant to Article XV of the treaty. |
| February 15-17, 2019 | Under Secretary Thompson participates in the Munich Security Conference, where the INF Treaty was a key topic of conversation. |
| April 2, 2019 | Under Secretary Thompson raises the INF Treaty with Allies during meetings at the United Nations Security Council Non-proliferation Treaty discussions. |
| April 2, 2019 | NATO High Level Group meeting, U.S. provides Allies an update on INF Treaty engagement and potential next steps. |
| April 23, 2019 | Under Secretary Thompson engages Allies on the INF Treaty at the NATO Arms Control, Disarmament, and Nonproliferation Committee. |
| April 30, 2019 | Under Secretary Thompson consults with Allies at the Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) Preparatory Committee (PrepCom) meeting in New York. |
| May 14, 2019 | Secretary Pompeo again urges Russia to return to compliance with the INF Treaty in a bilateral meeting with FM Lavrov in Sochi. |
| June 6, 2019 | NATO High Level Group meeting, U.S. provides Allies an update on INF Treaty engagement and potential next steps. |
| June 25, 2019 | Under Secretary Thompson raises the issue with Russian Ambassador Antonov. |
| June 26, 2019 | NATO Nuclear Planning Group meeting, Acting Secretary of Defense Esper provides Allies an update on INF Treaty and potential next steps. |
| June 29, 2019 | President Trump discusses arms control with President Putin at the G20 Summit in Osaka. |
| July 1, 2019 | State Department Senior Bureau Official for Arms Control, Verification and Compliance DiNanno raises the issue with Russian counterparts in Washington. |
| July 5, 2019 | During a NATO-Russia Council meeting, Allies urge Russia again to return to full and verifiable compliance with the INF Treaty. |
| July 17, 2019 | Deputy Secretary of State Sullivan and Under Secretary Thompson lead a U.S. delegation of senior officials from the National Security Council, Department of Defense, and Department of Energy to Geneva, Switzerland to participate in a U.S.-Russia Strategic Security Dialogue. DFM Ryabkov led the Russian delegation. |
