Even when a political move has been long anticipated, it’s difficult to know what Donald Trump’s motivations are, especially when that move is related in any way to Russia and President Vladimir Putin.
Sec. of State Pompeo announces suspension of nuclear arms treaty with Russia.
"For years, Russia has violated the terms of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty without remorse," Pompeo said. https://t.co/O11fstcdr8 pic.twitter.com/QRtZq9wlfN
— CNN Newsroom (@CNNnewsroom) February 1, 2019
On Friday, the United States withdrew from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made the announcement.
The Associated Press reports that:
‘Minutes after the U.S. announcement, NATO nations urged “Russia to use the remaining six months to return to full and verifiable compliance to preserve the INF Treaty.”
‘NATO members say the military alliance will continue to review the security implications of Russian missile development. They say NATO will take any “steps necessary to ensure the credibility and effectiveness of the Alliance’s overall deterrence and defense posture.”’
To be clear, this is as much about China – which is not a party to this treaty and therefore has been developing weapons in this category – as Russia. https://t.co/eA8SNxIEwt
— Jim Sciutto (@jimsciutto) February 1, 2019
The INF is the result of a treaty with Russia that helped to end the Cold War. It was originally proposed and signed by President Ronald Reagan in 1987. At a time when Trump’s connections to Russia are under more scrutiny than ever, it’s a move that was expected but still abrupt.
‘It was the first arms control measure to ban an entire class of weapons: ground-launched cruise missiles with a range between 500 kilometers (310 miles) and 5,000 kilometers (3,100 miles). Russia denies that it has been in violation.’
withdrawing from #INFTreaty is a cure worse than the disease of Russian noncompliance or Chinese nonparticipation. US can deploy air/sea-based systems around Europe and Asia as well as additional defensive systems w/o losing remaining benefits of the pact https://t.co/N5nVMB0fhD
— Richard N. Haass (@RichardHaass) February 1, 2019
Russia will now have six months to come into compliance or the treaty will end permanently. The long-term implications of withdrawal, however, involves far more than just the U.S. and Russia.
‘Pompeo says the U.S. will suspend its obligations to the treaty on Saturday. Pompeo says that if Russia doesn’t come into compliance, the treaty “will terminate.”
‘U.S. officials also have expressed concern that China, which isn’t part of the treaty, is deploying large numbers of missiles in Asia that the U.S. can’t counter because it’s bound by the treaty.’
JUST IN: Sec. of State Mike Pompeo announces the U.S. withdrawal from the INF Treaty: "Russia has jeopardized the United States' security interests, and we can no longer be restricted by the treaty while Russia shamelessly violates it." https://t.co/DiAD0MLaC4 pic.twitter.com/FITEXyHyR8
— ABC News (@ABC) February 1, 2019
Featured image screenshot via YouTube
