Event Date: March 27

Reception 5:30 p.m.; Dinner 6:15 p.m.; Program 7:30 p.m.

Program: Conference Room C/D, University of Illinois at Springfield

Dinner & Reception: Conference Room C/D, University of Illinois at Springfield

All programs are free and open to the public. Dinners require a reservation.

The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF Treaty) has long stood as a symbol of the end of the Cold War. However, this icon of the arms control regime appears to be on its last legs with the announcement that the US is withdrawing from the treaty in response to Russian violations. The announced withdrawal has drawn both criticism and applause.

What are the arguments for staying in or leaving the INF Treaty? What does the end of the treaty mean for the future of the nuclear reduction treaty, New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START)? What does it mean for arms control in general? Finally, what does all of this say about the relationship between the US and Russia and the international order?

Jeffrey Edmonds, an expert on Russia and Eurasia, will address these questions. Edmonds’ research focuses on the Russian military, foreign policy, Russian threat perceptions, and Russian information and cyber operations. Most recently, Edmonds served as the Director for Russia on the National Security Council (NSC) and acting Senior Director for Russia during the 2017 presidential transition. Edmonds was also the lead director during a review of United States policy towards Russia, culminating in a presidentially approved strategy that had global impact.

Prior to serving in the NSC, Edmonds served as a military analyst with the Central Intelligence Agency, covering Eurasian militaries. He has served in the U.S. Army on both active duty and the reserves for 22 years, with tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. Edmonds holds an M.P.A. from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, an M.A. from Boston University in Religious Studies, and a B.S. from the United States Military Academy at West Point.