The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces, or INF, Treaty is dead.

The key Cold War era disarmament agreement, signed by the United States and the Soviet Union in late 1987, was abandoned by both Washington and Moscow early this year. By August, when the final provisions of the treaty run out, the world’s two greatest missile powers will be free to design, produce, and deploy land-based missiles with ranges between 500 and 5,500 kilometers.