Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law suspending the INF (Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces) Treaty, according to reports on Wednesday. 

Putin announced at the beginning of February that Russia has suspended the INF Treaty and has no plan to initiate new disarmament talks with Washington.

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Why is the U.S. withdrawing from the INF Treaty?

The crucial arms control treaty was signed by former U.S. president Ronald Reagan and former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev in December 1987.

The United States is set to pull out of the INF on August 2 citing Russia's development of a missile that breaks the accord.

On Wednesday, Putin formalized the suspension by signing the bill which says the decision to resume the agreement is to be made by the Russian president.  

Together with another key arms control agreement known as New START, the INF was considered a cornerstone of global security.   

The agreement, which caps the number of nuclear warheads held by Washington and Moscow, expires in 2021.   

Putin has said he is ready to drop New START too, accusing Washington of being unwilling to negotiate an extension to the agreement.  

Putin said at the G20 Osaka Summit in Japan at the weekend that Russian and U.S. foreign ministers would begin talks over extending New START even though it was not clear whether they would be successful. 

(With input from AFP)