February 01, 2019

Castro Statement on U.S. Withdrawal from INF Treaty

WASHINGTON—Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Vice Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and a member of the House Intelligence and Education and Labor Committees, today released the following statement:

“Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s announcement that the United States government would withdraw from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty sets back U.S. national security and significantly weakens our credibility with friends and foes alike. It is also this President’s latest efforts to undermine multilateralism and retreat from global leadership.

“Rather than responding to the Russian government's well-documented violations of the treaty through the hard work of diplomacy, this Administration instead created the conditions for an expensive and unnecessary arms race that is reminiscent of the Cold War, not modern reality. Instead of pursuing this course of action, it is in the interest of the United States to stay in the agreement, apply pressure on the Russian government to return to compliance, and engage with China to expand the scope of the agreement.”

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