USA withdraw from nuclear treaty with Russia

The US is preparing to officially back out from a nuclear treaty with Russia.

US President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev signed the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) back in 1987.

Under the agreement, both dies were not allowed to possess missiles that had a firing range of between 500 and 5,500 km.

However in recent months the US along with NATO (the North Atlantic Treaty Organization) say Russia has violated the treaty.

This is an accusation that Moscow has firmly denied.  

On Friday the USA formally withdrew from the pact while Vladamir Putin also said Russia has suspended its obligations to the pact. 

The development has sparked fears of a new arms race between the two superpowers.