The Soviet Government has advanced several arguments to justify walking out of the Intermediate Nuclear Force (INF) negotiations on November 23 of last year and proceeding with its so-called “counterdeployments.” Each is misleading and self-serving and requires a response.

One such argument is that the introduction of the Pershing IIs and Ground-Launched Cruise Missiles (GLCMs) had the effect of upsetting an existing parity in Europe and, in fact, is the first step toward the establishment of U.S. superiority.