The INF treaty required the United States and the Soviet Union to forgo all nuclear ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles with a range of 500 to 5,500 km (310 to 3,415 miles), eliminating an entire category of weapon.
As a result, the Soviet Union scrapped hundreds of SS-20 missiles armed with nuclear warheads. Many of them had been pointed at Europe.
NATO's decision to station Cruise and Pershing nuclear missiles in Europe provoked waves of protests in the 1980s from campaigners who felt that would turn Europe into a potential nuclear battlefield.
The European Union called the INF treaty "a pillar of European security architecture" that had resulted in the destruction of almost 3,000 nuclear and conventional warheads and continued to play an important non-proliferation role.
"The United States and the Russian Federation need to remain engaged in constructive dialogue to preserve the INF Treaty," Maja Kocijancic, the EU's spokeswoman for foreign affairs and security policy, said. "The world doesn't need a new arms race."
French President Emmanuel Macron spoke to Trump on Sunday to stress the importance of the treaty, his office said on Monday. The German government regretted Trump's decision, saying NATO would now have to discuss the development.
China also condemned Trump's move, saying it was wrong to pull out of the treaty unilaterally.
