Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law suspending the country's compliance with a nuclear arms treaty that restricted mid-range missiles since the late Soviet era.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law suspending the country's compliance with a nuclear arms treaty that restricted mid-range missiles since the late Soviet era.

The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, signed by the United States and the Soviet Union in 1987, banned ground-launched missiles capable of carrying a nuclear warhead a distance of 500km to 5500km.

The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, signed by the United States and the Soviet Union in 1987, banned ground-launched missiles capable of carrying a nuclear warhead a distance of 500km to 5500km.