The new arms race in international politics

2018 was the year in which Putin unveiled a number of new and sophisticated nuclear weapons capable of circumventing US missile shield technology, it was the year in which the US withdrew from the Iran deal — despite reliable intelligence and government officials not to do so — and it became the year in which the Trump administration chose to step up conflict with Russia by issuing a 60-day ultimatum to return to the INF Treaty — before the United States would even abandon the agreement. The INF agreement is to ban land-based short- and medium-range missiles.