Russian President Vladimir Putin said the country will withdraw from a landmark nuclear weapons treaty after the Trump administration announced Friday that it would pull out of the pact.
“We will respond quid pro quo,” Putin said Saturday, according to the Associated Press. “Our American partners have announced they were suspending their participation in the treaty and we will do the same.
“They have announced they will conduct research and development, and we will act accordingly,” Putin added, according to the outlet.
President Trump on Friday accused Moscow of violating the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF), which was signed between then-President Reagan and Soviet Union President Mikhail Gorbachev in 1987.
“For far too long, Russia has violated the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty with impunity, covertly developing and fielding a prohibited missile system that poses a direct threat to our allies and troops abroad,” Trump said in a statement Friday.
The U.S. has publicly accused Russia of violating the treaty since 2014 under the Obama administration.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the U.S. would suspend its obligations under the INF Treaty effective Saturday.
…….
Putin, in response, said he would order the development of new land-based intermediate-range weapons but would not deploy them unless the U.S. did so.
……..
- Discussion
-
JUST IN: Putin says Russia will suspend nuclear treaty after Trump pulls out of pact https://t.co/Aor1yVDiEE pic.twitter.com/Eo3WkrtiM5
— The Hill (@thehill) February 2, 2019
Leaving the INF Treaty Is a Gift to Russia https://t.co/am1hUl9n3S
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) February 1, 2019
As someone who helped design the INF Treaty, only Russia benefits from the US withdrawal. No European country will let us deploy new nukes and we dont have any even under development. #INF #Russiagate
— Richard A Clarke (@richardclarke) February 1, 2019
.@RadioFreeTom is an expert on history & theory of INF. I see it the same, having served in Cold War Eu in the 70’s, transitioning Eu in the 80-90’s, and the “new” Europe from 2004-2011. We’ve given RU a strategic advantage, and only kept the options of escalation or nothing. https://t.co/gjZilU97dI
— Mark Hertling (@MarkHertling) February 2, 2019
For most of us, the global chess match surrounding this INF treaty goes way over our heads. That's why we turn to expert analysis from @RadioFreeTom on @CNN. Full thread is worth a read as well: https://t.co/OTB0x9Htzp pic.twitter.com/Y2p7w3DHJf
— Marc McAfee (@MarcMcAfee) February 2, 2019
Doesn’t matter. I expect Russia broke the agreement a long time ago, and for all any of us know, maybe the US did too. I’ve always said we can’t trust Russia. They are not our friends. Yet, the US continues to make treaties and sign accords with our enemies, knowing the documents aren’t worth the paper they are printed on. Why? Are we that naieve?
Thanks for asking, @NPRinskeep. A competent administration would have set up a package of things it wants – INF, Ukraine, espionage, etc., and coupled it to: "Here are all the things we have planned to counter you. Some stuff you don't even know about. But you won't like it." /1 https://t.co/3Ad2dRVKWK
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) February 2, 2019
Then add: "We will not let you pick us off on one issue at a time. The issue here is *your sustained attack on the international status quo*, and that's going to stop now, or we will take measures you will not enjoy, like, say, in Ukraine." (Which no one is talking about now.) /3
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) February 2, 2019
Instead, we're getting bogged down on one thing at a time, each of which is only dealt with by whatever part of the USG is paying attention to it. Totally uncoordinated. INF is a good example: "Because of cheating. Er, China. Um, but for conventional stuff. Or nukes. Uh…" /5
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) February 2, 2019
We said: "Get right with us or we'll keep deploying these systems that scare you." Now, we have a "talk and run" strategy: "You don't like this treaty? Fine, neither do we. We're going to go race the Chinese over systems we haven't built yet. Bye. Good luck, NATO." /7
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) February 2, 2019
This is a flat failure of Diplomacy 101. There was no "or else" in the INF negotiation, because *we didn't want one*. Because we only pretended to want the treaty. And the Russians baited us into letting them out of it. So dumb. Always something for nothing with this admin. /8x
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) February 2, 2019
People can't internalize that *NATO* is now the conventionally superior power. Yes, the Russians can grab some dirt and sit on it – until we make them go home. At that point, nuclear escalation is on *them*. The *last* thing you want is to invite a tactical or theater duel. /2
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) February 2, 2019
This is all driven by a mindless, unstrategic, wargaming mentality that McGeorge Bundy warned us against back in 1969. I can't believe we're voluntarily getting on this treadmill again, but people are dumb, and this administration is among the dumbest. /4x pic.twitter.com/wiw1r4ZWur
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) February 2, 2019
I'm not sure Moscow intended this to happen… https://t.co/s2pixKp5kB
— Petri Mäkelä (@pmakela1) February 6, 2019
You must be logged in to reply to this topic.