The United States is suspending its participation in the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty today.

The United States says that Russia has long been in breach of this agreement and if it does not return to compliance within six months, the US will abandon the treaty altogether.

Russia, however, insists that it is abiding by the agreement.

The treaty signed by the two countries in 1987 removed a whole category of land-based nuclear missiles with ranges of between 500 and 5,500 kilometers from Europe.