News

Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), Majority Administrative Co-Chairman of the Senate National Security Working Group, today issued a statement as the U.S. withdrawal from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty enters into effect on Friday, August 2nd. In February 2019, all 29 member states of NATO unanimously endorsed the U.S. decision to begin the six-month process to withdraw from the INF Treaty in response to Russia’s material breach of the agreement.
 
“The Putin regime in Russia is solely responsible for the INF Treaty’s demise after it refused, for six years, to reverse its dangerous and accumulating violations of this Reagan-era arms control agreement,” Rubio said.  “As our NATO allies stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the United States in our necessary response to Russia’s material breach of the INF Treaty, it’s now critical for Congress to fully support American and allied efforts to advance our military response options and prevent the Putin regime from gaining any military advantage from its unlawful conduct in any region of the world.”
 
Today, Rubio joined Senators Mike Lee (R-UT), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Roger Wicker (R-MS), and Tom Cotton (R-AR) in co-sponsoring S.Res. 298, a resolution in support of America’s decision to withdraw from the INF Treaty in response to Russia’s material breach of the agreement.  Other co-sponsors included Senators Roy Blunt (R-MO), Ron Johnson (R-WI), John Barrasso (R-WY), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Mike Braun (R-IN), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), and John Cornyn (R-TX).
 
Background: 

• On June 14, 2019, Rubio issued a statement on America’s concerns about Russia, China, and the nuclear weapons testing moratorium.  
• On February 1, 2019, Rubio issued a statement in support of U.S. withdrawal from the INF Treaty.  
•  On July 31, 2014: Rubio introduced a bill addressing Russian arms control violations.