Expensive? So, I guess, since the wealthy and corporations got their fantastic tax cut this new buildup will be paid for by those $15/hr wage earners. trump says sure he planned to give the people those high paying infrastructure jobs but something else has come up and now the country can't afford it. Same for that glorious, fabulous healthcare package. You know, the one that would have been the envy of the entire world.
trump is to busy doing what Putin tells him to do than to worry about the population of the United States of American.
31
Bankrupt, lawyer dominated U.S. government seeking to make war with Russia and Iran. More expensive defeated foreign policies in store for American taxpayers.
14
This was a Reagan era policy which means two thirds of the senate had to agree to it.
I haven't read anything that says that today's senate wants out of this treaty.
So is this Trump trying to rewrite the constitution?
Yes Russia is probably abusing the treaty but is backing out of the treaty the right thing to do or is this just what Putin wants Trump to do and is he being manipulated or obeying orders?
15
This is the trump administration, why the surprise?
We are now setting up for a world wide game of nuclear Russian-roulette.
Remember when trump first entered office he asked why do we have nukes if we can't use them?
The far right elements believe low yield nukes could be used in "limited" engagements.
Can Mueller please hurry.
24
If the senate has to approve treaties why is Trump able to disband a treaty without the approval of the senate?
33
Taken by itself, this may be a normal course of action. However, in light of the Kremlin announcing its immediate withdrawal, and development of new weapons, one has to wonder why would the United States give what is described as punishment but in reality seems to be a gift to Putin? This on top of all the other Putin leaning decisions and statements made by trump, this becomes very scary and troubling. We have to ask if trump is compromised in some way? Why does he seem to support Russia? Why cover up some of that support? He still denies Russian interference in the election, despite the facts including the use of information from the Special Counsel's Office that were only provided to Russia's lawyers in an online campaign to discredit Mueller. WE THE PEOPLE want to know why? Something is not kosher here.
19
The human race needs to have a conversation with itself about whether the resources devoted to these massively destructive weapons could ever make sense. The answer is clearly no because no one can afford them and no one wants the planet destroyed, in which case treaties should be maintained until they are replaced with better ones regardless of violations. There are better ways of dealing with violations than running away.
11
It’s a sad day when Putin sounds more rationale when he says this is not a sound move for the US to suspend the nuclear arms treaty. What example does the US set for the world? But more importantly, how can we seriously demand North Korea and Iran reduce their nuclear capabilities with this irrational decision?
8
Maybe I'm just in a bad mood, but to me it looks as though Trump & Company are intent on making catastrophic war more rather than less likely.
It's not just the decision to withdraw from this treaty. It's the whole "America First" thing. Trump and his advisors appear to have nothing but disdain for the multilateral agreements and international institutions that the US helped put in place after WW II. Those treaties and institutions, which Trump sees as nothing more than a rip-off of US taxpayers, have made the world a safer place. Does anyone seriously think that we'll be more secure after they've been substantially weakened or abandoned altogether?
When dealing with (instrumentally) rational persons, the question that comes to mind in surveying a change in policy is "who benefits?" Who makes money off the change? Whose political advantage does it serve? Who reaps the symbolic reward of seeing their ideology raised above that of their rivals? But with Trump, who often seems to decide things on a whim, we can't take rational decision-making for granted.
And so the nation is set on a dangerous path that increases the risk of war because President Trump thinks he knows more than the generals and more than the intelligence community. Just wait until he gets pushed into a corner by the Mueller report.
Am I imagining things, or is the Doomsday Clock is ticking louder?
11
I am confused or perhaps uninformed. The treaty was signed by Ronald Reagan and ratified by Congress. How can one man suspend a treaty without the consent of Congress which agreed to the treaty? I really wish someone would address the issue.
25
If one side of an agreement is not wilfully complying then there is no agreement.
3
"the president and Trump administration officials have made clear they are seeking a new strategy that would revive the treaty — but only if all countries that now field such weapons are willing to curb or eliminate them. That would be an enormously ambitious task. It would require China, India, Pakistan, Iran and North Korea to sign on to the same agreement."
This is the ol' "Impose impossible conditions and then do what you were gonna do in the first place" tactic. Iran and NoKo are most certainly not gonna play so this whole approach is DOA. It does provide cover for DJT though since it plays into his "America the Victim" stance that plays so well with his base.
5
Let's get ready to rumble. - - - I thought the US was better than this. So Pompeo, Harvard, and Bolton, Yale, are promoting nuclear proliferation. I was surprised that with their Intellect and character they didn't follow Mattis out the door. Now I understand them, I think. We have two people who want to out-do Putin himself.
4
This arms race began when Putin took power. When China started infiltration of our defense industries, when North Korea developed its nuclear missiles and Iran developed its own weapons systems and ballistic missiles. We have declared that negotiations should now begin. What is considered an end is in actuality, a call to begin again. Hypersonic ICBMs?? Since when is that NOT a flagrant disregard for any treaty. Russia and its new axis of military partners, China, Iran, have only world domination and American disruption in their gun sights. We may not like it, but this is a good way for negotiating with your enemy. Rather than withdraw from parts of Syria, we should plant our flag there along with some badly needed allies in that part of the world. The Kurds. Turkey is clearly moving into Russian orbit.
3
"It is unclear whether President Trump plans to replace..." For heaven's sake, when has Trump ever had a plan for anything? He has impulses, not plans. Although, I must admit, something of this magnitude, involving BFF Putin and Russia, it's hard to imagine Trump not having had a discussion with him about doing this. It's not out of the realm of possibility Putin told Trump to do it.
12
Like many Democrats I disagreed with nearly anything the Reagan Administration attempted. His dubious cabinet was almost a harbinger of what was to come with Trump. That is, until the Gipper saw Gorbachev as the real deal for change in the Soviet Union and brushed aside the warning wails of his neocon staff (props also to Maggie Thatcher). The IMF treaty allowed the world to breathe a little easier and, IMO, is Reagan's greatest legacy.
Now comes the Wrecker In Chief and his own sorry staff, helping to make America less credible and less safe. Maybe Trump decided against renegotiating the past because he understands (which is doubtful) that Putin will once again play him like a violin.
8
While I understand the frustration of seeing Russia break its side of the agreement, it seems as though the administration is taking the wrong approach. Why not beat Russia into submission economically? Do we really want to start this conflict all over again when there are much more optimal strategies available? The new approach taken by the president and his administration is nothing short of nonsensical.
8
This morning Moscow announced their IMMEDIATE suspension of the INF treaty in response to the US' decision. Furthermore Putin instructed his foreign minister NOT to engage in any type of disarmament talks with the Americans. His defense minister was ordered to start the accelerated development of the hypersonic versions of the so far banned intermediate range missiles.
If Mr. Trump was hoping to get a 'deal' by coercion, intimidation and downright threats, he's got it, but not the one he wanted it seems.
Of course, this is all posturing on both sides. But humanity as a whole cannot afford these childish games.
7
We have a treaty created to help mankind protect itself from itself, authored by long-sighted enthusiasts for peace, now commandeered by short-sighted positionists and agenda-movers, who haven't a clue to the deadly consequences of a mishap.
If ever a mishap were possible it is now.
6
If you want to find any logic at all in Trump's decisions, you need to follow the money and ask how will he, Trump, personally, and the Trump Organization benefit from it. Are they invested in arms contractors, or do they service arms contractors? Do they expect the US to now sell arms where they want to build hotels?
We KNOW that Trump attempted to bribe Putin with a $50 million dollar penthouse in the future, now stalled, Trump Tower Moscow, and had taken numerous actions to benefit Putin and the surrogates who nominally "own" his wealth.
As Mark Felt, aka, "Deep Throat" told Woodward and Bernstein, "Follow the money." That's where the only logic in Trump's actions ever apply.
7
We stand by silently and watch as the seeds of tragedy are planted into our future.
6
I'm glad we have enough money to support a new arms race. Hope it doesn't detract from the five billion slated for the wall.
2
The timing of this announcement is interesting. Although the "facts" have been known for many years, through at least Obama's presidency, the Donald waited until early 2019 to announce he was pulling out in six months. To set that up, he provided Russia with a do-or-die date of 1 February to do something, knowing that dictators do not like ultimatums. All this leads, at the moment, and until the next "Tell-all" book from a staffer, to a series of unanswerable questions.
Why that date? Why not earlier? Why not at the beginning of his reign? Did he or someone who really is a "big brain" on his staff (not our stable genius, to be sure) conclude that early 2019 would probably be a rough time for The Donald Who Would Be King and that a foreign policy "win" would deflect a lot of attention?
As Alice said, curiouser and curiouser.
4
Last year, when Defense Secretary Jim Mattis testified on Capitol Hill about the administration’s new arms policy, he alluded to a benign outcome. “We have to give our negotiators,” he said, “something with which to negotiate.”
Former Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis maybe the adult in the Trump administration, but his comment was foolish, naive and dangerous in the extreme. Any action by the US will surely invite reaction from Russia and China and the vicious cycle of move and counter move of a nuclear arm race will start. The whole world will then be on a dangerous path to a nuclear war because the new low- yield missiles would be so tempting to use. Even Mattis, the adult, entertained the foolish thought of building new missiles to force the other sides to negotiate. With Pompeo and Bolton, there is no hope of turning back or negotiation.
4
It’s discouraging that we’re considering restocking expensive nuclear weapon systems that are obsolete from the perspective of actual military utility.
Not only are they weapons of mass destruction but also weapons of national suicide. Nothing would unite the world faster than the sight of a mushroom cloud over a populous world city.
Nukes have value as symbols of advanced military might and technology, but like the Tsar Cannon at the Kremlin they’re as hazardous to the user as they are to the target.
Putin knows this of course but he has the political mind of Bismarck and the heart of Genghis Khan. Such posturing is right in his wheelhouse and represents ongoing evidence of his skill to brazenly overawe and outmaneuver the West.
3
As this article points out, the U.S. started modernizing our nuclear arsenal during the Obama administration. We have already invested time and money, so why should we expect the Russians or anyone else to stop their programs?
After all, we don’t want a “missle gap?”
2
The Times writes: "It is not clear whether President Trump has a workable plan to replace the 1987 agreement or to renew another major treaty."
I find it exasperating that major media sources like the New York Times, in light of all the egregious behavior of this President, continues to write as if there is a real expectation that Trump actually has plans, is aware of history and thinks rationally. The Times does the public a disservice by continuing, indirectly, to give this man the benefit of the doubt.
9
Can also be expressed as: US releases Russia from compliance with the nuclear treaty. Very reassuring indeed. The intelligence agencies must be very confused and naive.
2
Someone needs to sit Trump down and explain that nuclear bombs are different than conventional bombs, how much different, and why. and why a broken, but signed treaty is better than nothing at all.
2
Vladi and DingDon surely planned this out in their last, "unrecorded" private get-together.
Both surely see the rise of China as a threat to their egos and think the solution is the old get rich quick plan of a cold war arms race -- like when Trump imagines America was great before.
Perhaps one day Russia will release the tapes of these meetings and we'll see.
2
Putin's spokesman, Peskov, is indeed right that the United States failed to negotiate in good faith.
Failing to negotiate in good faith with foreign countries - be they allies or not - and failing to negotiate with the opposition party in Congress, is the Art of the Deal of Trump's sorry administration.
Negotiating in good face is awol in the People's House, and the fish, as always, rots from the orange head down to the tail.
7
Trmp fears Mueller is getting too close to him so he wants a big distraction. This should do it for now, until, God help us, he wants a bigger one.
3
Trump (& his administration - in this case Bolton, Pompeo, etc) break one treaty after another (I.N.F., Iran Nuclear, Paris Climate, trade agreements) - he can't work within Congress with Immigration Plans so he plans to build his "Wall" even with limited support...
Mr. Trump fails time & again to work with & adjust to the world as it is today and blames others for his failures... sadly - Trump and his cronies are failing terribly at making this a better & safer world.
3
I have said it several times on these pages, Trump is a threat to our national security in many ways. His attempts to undermine democracy could be the least of our problems. More importantly, he threatens everyone’s life by further degrading our environment. Now he is increasing the likelihood of getting most life annihilated in a nuclear exchange.
3
It must be exactly what Putin instructed your president Trump to do during the one to one talks with him, of which are no records.
The only thing left for Trump to do is to pull the plug from the NATO alliance formally.
Putin can test and place his missiles without any objection near the borders of Western Europe and invade the Baltic states or any other neighboring country he would wishes to take.
Thank you people of the (no longer great) USA for electing such a Putin puppet as your president!
I wonder what kind of future your president is leaving for your country and the world when he is
finally gone, almost certainly a scorched earth, if not the result of climate change than it must be from nuclear weapons.
3
Trump and his erudite advisors send a message - let the games begin. A new, bigger and belter arms race. Who will win the next one? Nobody if Armageddon results.Trump may not believe in Global Warming but he and the rest of mankind can forget about this issue if he or his pals ever, god forbid, create a Nuclear Winter.
1
Trump campaigned on creating a better working relationship with Russia and getting out of the M.E. quagmire, those were worthy goals to most Americans who were interested in rebuilding our nation rather than nation building in the M.E. for “our allies”. The aftermath of the election has seen a constant beating of the drums against Russia over the purported election rigging(kind of farcical coming from us when we blow nations into oblivion when we don’t approve of their politics or in others such as Iran, Venezuela and Ukraine we stage a coup or enact sanctions that cripple their economies so their people suffer, in hopes of creating a revolt. We are going to end up all by ourselves before this administration leaves office and it will have been a bipartisan effort that brought it about. Israel and The Saudis arguably the countries that were the primary reason for our idiotic systematic destruction of the M.E. are even shopping around for new friends, Netanyahu seen recently in The Times making nice with both Putin and China’s Premier. Bolton and Pompeo are the “real and present danger to the world”, these specious arguments over mid level or range of atomic weapons should make any intelligent person scream; does one really believe changing the rules to allow nukes with only half the power of that which devastated Hiroshima makes a difference, in the event of nuclear war every nation will empty its silos and the world will cease to exist.
1
It is so clear that the only parties that benefit in the cancellation of the INF are those who make nuclear weapons and their deployment equipment. I am hoping that the NYT and others are following the money in this.
3
Question: Have we ever had a President who has so much involvement with Russia?
Question: Why don't people care that our President is in cahoots with Russia?
Question: What possible positives are there from abandoning treaties and further isolating ourselves at the cost of our allies?
Question: Will we soon be rid of the traitorous Individual-1?
4
The treaty was a useless, out dated and the US was the only one abiding by it. China and Russia have been in violation for years.
1
I vividly remember when I heard on the radio that the B-52s were taken off of alert status at Barksdale AFB when the Soviet Union fell. My first thought was that my children could grow up in a world without a nuclear cloud hanging over them - something I had never known.
I should have known that was too good to last.
7
"It is unclear whether President Trump plans to replace the I.N.F. or to renew another major treaty, called New Start..."
Sorry, NYT, but it's _entirely_ clear: President Trump has no idea what's in the INF or New Start, and doesn't care either.
To be sure, the cancellation is part of an ongoing process started in the Obama administration by experts at the State Department.
Problem is, too many of those experts have been fired, pressured to retire, or left in disgust. Meanwhile, the Secretary of State is a right-wing Tea Party congressman selected for loyalty, we have an interim Defense Secretary with no background in defense, and the President rages at the key national security advisors rather than listening to them.
Oh, and considerable evidence shows that President Trump is somehow beholden to Vladimir Putin, and is prone to having tete-a-tete conferences with Putin without a single American present.
What could possibly go wrong?
9
"The American partners have declared that they suspend their participation in the deal, we suspend it as well," Putin said during a televised meeting with foreign and defense ministers today.
Putin said Russia will start work on creating new missiles, including hypersonic ones, and told ministers not to initiate disarmament talks with Washington, accusing the United States of being slow to respond to such moves.
"We have repeatedly, during a number of years, and constantly raised a question about substantiative talks on the disarmament issue," Putin said. "We see that in the past few years the partners have not supported our initiatives."
3
Perhaps it’s time for a new generation to watch The Day After, Threads, and the other films which helped us grasp in a visceral way what it is with which we are playing. Perhaps the older generations need reminding as well. Bring back awareness of the Unforgettable Fire.
Two Minutes to Midnight is no way for us to live.
7
Trump has gathered a loose union of racists and white supremacists (their identity tied to black identity!), blood and soil groups, game hunters, militia, police; a national tide of one-off crazies, citizens shrinking Amendment Nine rights, voting suppressors, Supreme Court cheerleaders and charged white people about the importance of power, implementing tactics and strategies while still denying their fear of “others.” At home and abroad. Domestic white terrorists get a pass. Asylum seekers, eager to work, are criminalized.
Trump's denial is repurposed and placed in new baskets, to support the King’s ransom: security/walls. His denial also pays tribute to Russia/Putin.
Finally, Trump seeks the right to tax us and spend billions based on his personal beliefs by abusing his powers. I can give or endorse no President that right.
8
Russian cheating and the start of hyper-sonic cruise missells has already started an arms race. We just are behind.
5
Except for adding more uncertainty and chaos in the form of new arms race to the already turbulent global situation nothing more could happen once the I. N. F. (1987) is suspended by the US, specially when Trump has already exposed the US to Russian influence and cyber attacks.
3
I think any policy towards Russia should be tabled under this compromised president.
19
Nuclear conflict and the deployment of nukes is how the human race is going to curb its out-of-control population growth. We have already defiled the planet beyond recovery. Perhaps we who have driven unneccessary billions of miles and flown frivolously deserve to perish by atomic war.
2
But.. but... Trump is a Russian puppet. Putin's pawn. A tool of those rascally Russians.
To throw Mueller's bloodhounds off the scent, Trump desperately offers a meaningless gesture to convince us that he's not doing Putin's bidding.
/sarcasm
Back in reality, in the world of hard facts, of missiles and bombers and tanks and troops and sanctions, Trump - yet again - shows that he is not Putin's patsy. He is Putin's worst nightmare.
Not that this will make a dent in the manic, frenzied, foolish and false narrative, but once again, Trump is showing himself as the most anti-Russian and confrontational president we've ever seen.
Trump has now:
Pulled out from the ABM Treaty - a nightmare for Putin and a massive strategic defeat for Russia.
Sold our most potent missile defense system to both Poland and Sweden. Putin fears this military weapon more than any other in our arsenal.
Reversed Obama's policy of refusing lethal military aid to Ukraine.
Reversed Obama's Syria policy and directly confronted Russia on the ground, killing scores of Russian mercenaries and soldiers in Syria.
Tripled defense initiatives to deter Russian aggression in Europe, staged maneuvers on Russia's borders, increased the anti-Russian defense budget by ~50%.
Sanctioned ~40 oligarchs and Russian officials, expanded the Magnitsky sanctions list, closed consulates & diplomatic annexes, expelled 60 diplomats.
Ah, but never mind: Trump just HAS to be Putin's puppet.
Keep repeating it.
Yup.
3
Those Treaties are not worth the paper they are written on. USA goes backward and the other rogue nations all secretly get ahead in the arms race. The reality is if it is out in the open at least the world will know what's going on. All those International organisations are a joke as more and more rogue nations develop weapons of mass destruction. USA are probably spending money they haven't got, on policing those pseudo Treaties. No nation fears the USA or the Western world anymore.
1
I’m to upset to comment , Trump is destroying America and making so much noise that detracts from it that most people can’t see it .
7
If the Russians are behaving badly, and in western eyes they are, a lot of the blame is ours. Take a hard look at our attitude toward Russia since 1991 and then tell me they have no right to dislike and distrust us. We've antagonized them, provoked them, and demonized them. We've done everything we can to keep them down. It's hypocritical to slam Russia for its lack of democracy -- a foreign concept to them at best -- when our actions retard any democratic impulse that might exist. Besides, we support some of the most undemocratic regimes on the planet, and why? Because they help make the world safe, not for democracy but for capitalism.
3
@Tony Long this is all about money too, investment in military. Trump also wants his space force, and wants people to feel patriotic, and putin has a similar plan, they both want to stay in power, and they believe making their countries stronger militarily and a phony arms race will have patriots patting then on the back. The amount America already invests in military is sickening, it could feed the world's homeless for life with less than one years US military spending. Both countries have nukes and should reduce their spending by about 1000% and yet trump wants nato countries to spend more. Taking America back to the 1950s will not make it great again or ever.
2
Would be wise to check Trump's defense industry stock holdings and those of his enablers.
9
Support this? I sincerely hope you survive the initial blasts.
5
Most all news outlets are treating this tabloid-style. Does no one in the press recall that it was the Soviet Union's enormous military and space and weapons programs that bankrupted the huge country and led to its collapse?. Now it's Russia the country going it alone...We all know Putin wishes it was 1960 in Moscow, but even he isn't stupid enough to enter into "an arms race." And the other thing we learned after the Soviet fall is that most of their missiles couldn't hit the side of a barn. Even a Russian barn...
This is definitely one of those items that Putin whispered in Trump's ear to do. He told Trump to pull out, then he, in turn will pull out so he can get out and make his little weapon. Who can't see this? EVERY international move made by Trump is dictated by Putin. Oooooh I can't stand both of these little, little men
6
Well, all the people saying USA just wants to bully the rest of he world is wrong as NZ doesn't have nukes and the USA got huffy with us for years before coming around to our nations laws on nuclear, when they were first introduced. If you did bully us we didn't take any notice as we are a sovereign nation.
2
We need an arms race as Russia will lose it. Reagan's arms race actually caused the USSR to collapse.
1
The Republican military has used Nuclear weapons against innocent civilians before and would do it again. I advise my fellow Americans to vigorously protest this ignorant abandonment of the nuclear arms pact as I believe any buildup of weapons production and intermediate ballistic missiles is a threat to us as well as others. Our military has been killing us in their wars and would also kill we civilians. A revolt in our nation can never happen. Do you understand?
2
Wait. I thought Trump was Putin's puppet. What happened?
3
It's almost like some people are getting older and afraid they will miss the "Rapture" so they are doing their best to start Armageddon.
I expect soon some geneticist will find a way to breed a Red Calf any time now.
We can't escape the fact that many evangelicals have convinced their followers that the 'Second Coming' and all of its associated destruction is something to welcome.
Right now, there is a surplus of candidates who qualify as the Antichrist in positions of power!
6
If anyone thinks trump has a workable plan, then I've got some swampland in Florida to sell you. This administration does everything by the seat of its pants with little or no thought for the future. It is being run by political hacks with extreme views and I just hope we can get them all out of office before we get blown up.
7
'Holier than thou' in International politics. The decision enable the 'holier than thou' to scorch the earth and annihilate living things sooner than ever.
1
I suggest that those who can, advise the Russian population to elect a new President to replace Putin, the K.G.B. man, as we also elect a new peace loving President to deescalate this suicide bomber reality. I mean very openly call on the Russian people to depose Putin as we depose Trump, the military school educated trouble kid. Why should a half a Billion people of the world suffer by the actions of two men? I don't profess violence, merely democratic action to resolve this stupid standoff. It isn't that fences make good neighbors, it's the fact of staying out of other people's territory keeps the peace in a world of territorial people.
1
Terrific news if you are Lockheed Martin, bad news for the future of the rational man. The ignorance of this administration about how global peace (other than the Islamic wars) has been achieved is alarming. Buy defense stocks, we're going to war folks. What a legacy for our grandchildren.
5
No! You mean that Donald Trump would take an action that guaranteed billions and billions of additional dollars flowing into the coffers of the Military–industrial complex? As my dear, departed Grandmother used to say, "Who'd a thunk it?"
4
Why is Iran listed among those nations meant to sing a new broader nuclear weapon agreement? As long as i I know, Iran has not such a weapon. How about mentioning Israel instead, widely known to unofficially possess a nuclear arsenal?
3
With the help of good friend Pakistan the US reached out to Maoist China to take on the USSR and won.
It is now time for the US to reach out to Russia to take on the new China for the rise of which the US deserves much credit.
Your headline was misleading. It did not reveal that Russia had been violating the treaty while we were honoring the treaty.
I would have liked more information about the missiles deployed near European borders in 2014.
1
Suddenly a nuclear strike or accident has more urgent immediacy than the climate change debacle. This is especially the case when in the new war scenarios a bomb the size of Hiroshima is considered "small" and "plausible" again.We may blow the planet off with nuclear strikes before the natural catastrophes produced by irreversible climate change hit us hard.
5
Lots of the poorest people will be taxed and taxed to make the international arms suppliers richer and richer that is the only reason to take this action.
We tried this in the 1980's, but then we spent the next decade taxing working people to dig us up out of the deficit.
Every 1%er will get a nice chunk of our taxes. But they will pay nothing for the added "security".
We won't be able to pay the mortgage after the new taxes on wages so the 1% er's will get our houses too.
I do not fear a thermo nuclear attack as much as I fear imprisonment of the "gig" workers by the 1%er's. This enslavement is almost entirely complete.
In the 2000's we tried to stimulate the economy by invading Afghanistan and Iraq. How many 1% er's we killed in the twin towers bombings? I don't know, but I wouldn't be surprised if it were zero. Wouldn't be surprised it the were pre-warned.
We have known for nearly twenty years that Saudi Arabia ATTACKED the USA.
No sanctions on them, they are despotic 1%er's and the US government would never do anything to inconvenience a despot or a 1% er.
How many Americans were killed in the attack on the US Embassy in Iran? A handful? A few dozen? I don't know, but we know that a few thousands were killed in the day of the bombing and rescuers are still continuing to die slowly. Payment from their country for their exceptional patriotism.
This planet is controled by parasites. Bet this isn't " fit to print"
3
Nearly all the acts our thoughtless leader has undertaken have returned me to the times of hide-under-your-desk. I'm too old to fit comfortably but the memory lingers on. I have to ask, does anyone know what they are doing? That's rhetorical.
5
Enough of the practical joke on the world. Time to take care of that man who is, questionably, the President of the United States. How has it gone on so long and now threatens the world with the leaderless incompetence of this administration?
6
Ok. Now it’s a National Emergency
5
The nuclear threat described- Trump is in a huge room sitting on a stool with his legs drawn up. Many others are also in this room. The room is awash in feet of gasoline. Trump is holding a lit match, like a child playing with fire.
3
Mr. Trump said later that “I hope we’re able to get everybody in a big, beautiful room and do a new treaty that would be much better.” He did not define what he meant by “everybody.”
A big beautiful room??? Does this man not know any grown up words???
4
Well, the NYT and the Democratic establishment have been running for some time now on quasi Cold War rhetoric regarding Russia (ex Soviet Union) as our enemy #1 and major competitor. This is the perfect excuse for Trump to show his anti Russian credentials. He is a "tough" warrior and will break this treaty too. These are becoming truly dangerous moves now. Confused Republicans (such as Cuban-American Republicans) who used to see Russia as the big monster (previous to Al Qaeda, ISIS, ISIL.etc) and who have seen their idol Trump flirting with and befriending monstrous Russia can now give a sight of relief. The old alignments may be resurfacing after all. Whereto will the Democrats turn now? Hope I'm out of here by the time those nukes go off.
The United States and Russia are preparing for a nuclear war that would destroy the entire world. And we the people just sit here and let it happen.
6
Not too long ago Putin was bragging that he had a low-flying missile that was undetectable by radar. Just the other day he threatened us with massive retaliation if we intervened militarily in Venezuela. But we’re supposed to abide by the arms treaty when Russia is violating it? Liberals are so hot over Russian collusion but apparently they’ll back Putin over Trump when it suits them.
1
Here we go, the Cold War begins again.
Who is going to pay for this one?
We already have Korea, Vietnam ...Iraq I, Iraq II, Afghanistan and all the little puddle jumpers on the national debt. How much more money can we afford to barrow from Communist China?
1
What happened to Russian collusion?
I'm more worried that the Republicans will bankrupt the American people than I am that Russia will hit us with a nuclear bomb or even start building up an arsenal. The world's greatest threat sits in the White House today.
5
When I read the NYT on foreign, as opposed to domestic, policy I consistently detect the same pro-hawk biases that lead many to shout „fake news.“ For example the statement „increasingly aggressive Russia“ is just mentioned in passing as though it is an undisputed statement of objective fact, and not an opinion. And I do not share the view that Russia has been aggressive. Its surrogates reclaimed a relatively small part of Ukraine after years of steady NATO expansion toward Russia‘s borders and a Western-backed toppling of Ukraine’s admittedly unsavory but nevertheless elected president, followed by his replacement with a pro-Western leader. And this is not to mention the „defensive“ missiles the U.S. has installed in eastern Europe. Would the U.S. tolerate the same in its immmediate neighborhood?
3
No doubt, Trump and Putin discussed this in their private meeting. I cannot believe this is happening. Our country is being dismantled.
4
This is bad. As I read this artical in my mind I hear emergency sirens going off, warning of the danger and catastrophe this could all lead to. Mueller evidence is closing in on him . He is getting more frightened and doing crazier things every day. Now this?
This is a power move. He is letting us know who's in charge. This makes the border wall seem trivial and downright quaint in comparison.
2
The Trump Administration's withdrawal from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty is another blunder of catastrophic, historic proportions. Congress should intervene, by making illegal the "first use" of nuclear weapons by our military. Representative Adam Smith and Senator Elizabeth Warren have already filed bills to that effect and they should be debated and passed. Senators Markey and Merkley have also filed bills that would de-fund any U.S. nuclear weapons program that would exceed the limits now set by the INF and NewSTART treaties.
Trump has renewed a cold war nuclear arms race that will cost trillions of dollars, and destabilize the international balance of power. A chaotic president like Trump cannot be allowed to brandish the nuclear arsenal of the United States that well could lead to a nuclear war and the end of life on Earth as we know it.
Mark Muhich
Sierra Club Nuclear Free Core Team
3
It will be difficult to engage in rational nuclear arms control treaties with our alleged enemy #1 [Russia] in the growing Neo Cold War rhetoric embraced by the NYT and the Democratic establishment in their anti Trump strategy.The relentless accusations against Trump's suspicious "friendly" ties with Russia will bring about Republican responses like this one to show their anti Russia credentials and distract. This are very dangerous moves. What will the response of Democrats be? Blame Putin and the Russians and escalate? (They blame us). Read Ms Rachel Bronson's OP Ed on the "New Age of Nuclear Instability?" to get a sense of the danger of playing politics, ideology and blame you games in such a serious matter. Democrats (and now Republicans) need to tone down the Neo Cold War rhetoric.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced the decision to suspend the accord, declaring that “countries must be held accountable when they break the rules.”
Who will hold the US responsible for all the broken agreements?
When will the US provide any proof of their allegations and accusations?
So far all we have is the word of proven liars and PowerPoint presentations that turned out to be 100% lies.
So when will the US be held responsible?
When will the top politicians of the US be held responsible?
2
A blatantly shameful present to Putin by a treasonous president.
This should expected as our president has been surrounded by people with Russian connections, his son said that most of the Trump's money came from Russia, he avoids introducing Russian sanction till he is forced to by the Congress and is eager to relief the Russian sanctions, substantial part of his election funds came from Russia and this money is now being used to pay the 17 lawyers he hired to deal with 'the anticipated fallout of the Mueller investigation', he is eager to meet Putin and keeps his conversation away from the Americans - I can go like this on and on.
There is no sign of indignation from the Congress - have they noticed that this president has singlehandedly started a NUCLEAR arms race?
4
Then it might be a good idea to look into investing in military industrial stocks.
1
Of course Trump has not replacement plan ready. That's the way he rolls.
2
Is this the MADness (as Mutual Assured Destruction) of King Donald? Or, is there the Reagan era "Trust, but Verify" proof that Russia has violated INF treaty that was meant to protect western Europe? Given Trump's record of pulling our of every treaty in sight, particularly the Iran Nuclear Accord, and his abject failure to even reduce North Korea's nuclear arsenal coupled with the public accusations that he may be a Russian asset, one is left with a sickening feeling that this is the latest act to undermine NATO and the western alliance. All one can say is that under Donald Trump the world is a much less safe.
1
Humans are creatures of time and timing is what they do.
The military government empire of the Republican party relies on keeping all of you right here in our nation so they can grow their military empire with your tax money and hide behind you as they wage war and risk you in their worldwide chest beating with you as physical hostages to deter other nations from attacking us because there are millions of us. The Republican military throws endless numbers of people into war to be blown up by those that hate and wish to destroy all while sitting in the lap of luxury here at home. Yes, wars are fought for oil and other natural resources. Wars are fought for money. Wars are fought to justify their existence and empire building through the cultivation of fear and the hatred of others, most times enemies invented to rally the public. The superpowers continue to build their empires and mass their weapons without regard for the ramifications of having weapons that threaten others.
Superpower governments are small in comparison to total populations but hold the Damocles sword of war over everyone's lives.
The superpowers are risking their populations for the sake of their own power. Now that nuclear threats are greater, governments are entrenching themselves and hiding behind millions of people as they hold our fate in their little military government's hands. Now do you understand the obsession with the Wall? Be prepared to flee to the south. Just be ready. No Nukes of the North
2
Trump and Pompeo; be careful how you exercise your muscles while risking 320 million lives. We won't look at it kindly.
3
Trump's latest attempt to send the media off in another direction other than what the Mueller Investigation is up to, him!, is a bit more concerning than things like 'the wall'.
Trump is now meddling with more than a half century of 'arms control'. And to add some effect, he has us building our first long-range nuclear weapons since 1991.
But this 'rabbit-hole' distraction is way above his brain's pay grade and needs to be emphatically challenged.
Now we can only hope the members of the Republican Party like Lindsey Graham do all they can to reel him in. Trump's clearly in over his head on this one.
And remember, who's he's appointed to be our Nuclear Weapons arsenal guardian-Yes, Rick Perry.
3
What a wonderful world it would be if every nation went, 'no nukes' like New Zealand has. Who stands to profit the most from a nuclear arms race - probably the shareholders in that stock. USA and Russia are the biggest exporters of weapons worldwide - maybe that's why there'll never be no wars in the world. Not looking good for future generations.
2
He ‘juiced’ the economy and the stock market with a tax cut for corporations and the Uber-rich.
Now, he’s attempting to do the same using an arms race.
God speed Robert Mueller.
4
Reagan was many things, but at least he didn't work for the Russians.
4
This is Trump once again proving that Putin owns him. Trump will next build about 1000 more missiles in Europe aimed at Russia. This is a key part of Putin's Grand Plan, and Trump following instructions from Putin. It is so very obvious.
3
This is one of the ways in which Trump does Putin's bidding in exchange for getting himself reelected.
3
The trump is leaving treaties. Has he ever entered any treaty of any kind?
3
Actually, even if I don’t like Putin, I am not sure that he is a diabolical madman that wants to be remembered badly. And I don’t think that he is stupid.
Trump too, not a diabolical madman. But Trump, on the other hand, clearly is stupid.
3
Asking North Korea, DPRK-The country is Republic!!- is not only for de-nuclearization of Korean Peninsula but also is based upon broader perspective of reduction of nuclear arms in general.
Decision by U.S. to withdraw from the Treaty is said to counter Russia and China. The rational gives assertion of DPRK a kind of support of it's nuke development. They say it was to acquire deterrence against U.S..
Second summit meeting with Kim is assured to be fruitless.
2
Now I understand Trump's obsession with building a wall. It's meant to keep us in as a shield while his little empire plays chicken with the nations of the world. The Wall is meant to keep us in. It's all about crowd sourcing to maintain the empire.
Brazil anyone? It is warm there and the girls are scantily clad.
The Southern Hemisphere is safe for us.
1
I wonder how much "health care for all" the budget for nuclear weapons would give us.
4
What is striking is the flimsiness the Trump Admistration is handling these matters.
It can become scaring if you think: Ok, they blow up an international treaty. But what next? Do they even have a plan?
Well, tonight I'll watch again Stanley Kubrick's Dr. Strangelove!
Spoiler: it does not end well...
2
Who are we kidding, it's a life long GOP thing, keep feeding the military industrial complex, worry about the consequences later...
4
It is lucky for us that we have a President who knows more about winning wars than any general, and a Secretary of State who is directly connected to God through prayer. Without those two, John Bolton might lead us into a trap whereby Russia and China end up dominating the world with new nuclear technologies. Who needs a plan with leadership like this!
2
Trump wants a nuclear winter.
2
Incompetence and stupidity take over on all sides. Hell may break loose in the end. But apparently mankind needs this kind of lesson.
2
Nuclear weapons are the death wish of humanity, and short range weapons set them on a hair trigger.
2
But this is another reason why, before the end of the month (February), you should speak bluntly and directly to any Trump supporter you know. If they are offended and insulted by the things you say, don’t lose any sleep over it.
Blunt talk that may be insulting is apparently all those people understand. Don’t waste your time pussy footing around with them. Be blunt.
1
My big concern is that Trump is unstable and uses bullying as his way to get what he wants. The collapse of the INF Treaty raises the fears of a Cold War showdown. If there was a problem of Russia not totally following the treaty then it is up to the obliterated [due to Trump] State department to work out the details. We do not need the US being put in the position of raising the fear level throughout the world. Trump has no problem worrying us about an invasion of women and children on the southern border but updating our long-range nuclear weapons is perfectly fine. [Of course there is no problem spending $494 billion for one more worthless project.]
It took a lot of negotiating work to reach a nuclear arms control agreement. It takes Trump's administration no time to destroy it. Why would any country believe the authenticity of any treaty signed by the US? Trump: “I hope we’re able to get everybody in a big, beautiful room and do a new treaty that would be much better.” You don't destroy first and then dream.
1
Is Russia in violation of the Treaty? Yes. Have We also violated the Treaty? Very possibly Yes. Does this mean that we should scrap the Treaty? NO. The Treaty does provide for inspections. No Treaty, no inspections. With zero inspections Putin is free to create any nuclear devise his heart desires.
With Trump pulling America out of yet ANOTHER Treaty or Accord who does he think is going to negotiate and honor any Treaty with America while he is still President of the United States of America?
2
Trillions more for the Republican arms manufacturers - cutting their taxes by $1.5 trillion was apparently not enough. Meanwhile, it's "too expensive" to provide universal health care, protect the environment, rebuild our infrastructure, or attend to the many other domestic problems.
This of course also has the side Republican benefit of providing cover for Trumpov, as he prepares what will be a searing indictment in the Mueller Report.
2
The arms race had already started with China. The question really was the US going to compete. Keeping the peace in Europe isn't worth increasing the risk in Asia. Trump and Pompeo have made the right call.
Another brick in the wall, building Putin’s stronghold day by day. There is no real justification for this latest idiocy; it surely has to be because the Trump Whisperer himself planted the idea. I haven’t seen anything that remotely suggested this was a good strategy.
If an arms race is on the table, Russia has a mighty strong advantage given the current chaos in the USA.
1
It might be time to dust off the old duck and cover handbook. Sadly, this is yet another example of President Trump’s impetuous and dangerous mode of governing. His myopic and woefully ignorant decision making is no longer amusing. It is threatening the very core of our democracy while his loyalists blindly follow along. Time to toss the GOP out of power at every level of government. They do not deserve to represent this country.
1
There is a major distinction between Reagan and Trump.
Trump reacted with stubborn refusal to adhere to a weapons treaty without thinking clearly.
Reagan thought very clearly and pursued a rational peaceful path to weapons control by making friendly overtures to Gorbachev.
1
I was still living in the divided Cold War capital of the world when the United States and NATO were the only deterrent to very real and imminent Soviet threat, and the Salt Agreement was the only thing that kept the world from plunging head first into oblivion.
Why the U.S. now wants to suspend its Nuclear Arms Control Treaty under the pretense that Russia is non-compliant defies any kind logic and doesn't bode well for the future.
The race is on.
And there will be no winners.
2
It's not this decision that can spark an arms race, but the actual deployment of these weapons by Russians. Arms control treaties only work if both sides abide.
Military strategy no. Political strategy yes. This just a ploy to channel more taxpayer funding to the military-industrial complex (MIC) on both sides? Now THAT is collusion.
1
I still remember the hoarse sirens when I was in elementary school in New Orleans in the early 50's that warned of a nuclear attack. We didn't now if it was a drill, or real, so we pushed our desks against the wall away from the windows, got under them hands clasped over our necks, and listened to our teacher warn us to not look out of the window because the yellow nuclear blast " would melt our eyes in their sockets." Later the same hoarse siren signaled the all-clear, and things went back to normal...Or did they? Maybe we're different because of that. Do you really want more different people Mr. Trump?
1
As difficult as it is for me to agree with anything that the Trump administration does or says, this is one of those rare instances. Started by the Obama administration, for the past five years we conducted difficult negotiations with Russia to resolve their breach of compliance with the treaty. Considering that China is not a party, it makes sense to walk away from the treaty seeking a broader and more verifiable agreement that also includes China and other nuclear nations. Otherwise we would be sitting on a cache of obsolete weapons while the rest of the nuclear club updates theirs.
1
Due to the Super Bowl let’s impeach on Monday - one great flush per station break, after all - and hopefully we can get it done by noon. Wasn’t an arms treaty also mentioned in the article?
One would expect criticism of our leaving the treaty, and criticism of our lenience with Russia’s non-compliance and China’s non-participation. Quite a few comments manage to criticize both, and I look forward to the resolution of policy once the principal distraction is removed.
A third criticism is our loss of allies due to trade conflicts. We spend far too much on our military – and of course not enough – but our recent allies’ population and GDP exceed ours, and substantially exceed Russia’s. Surely in a real crisis they could afford both to resist Russian aggression and to subsidize the patriotism of Quebec dairy farmers. The Chinese dairy market after all is famously wide open.
1
During the Cold War, there was a word consistently used to express the futility of the nuclear arms race. That word was "Overkill", meaning we have many more weapons than was necessary to destroy the enemy.
Millennials should learn that word since we'll be hearing it much more often in the future.
1
This is like taking a law off the books when someone breaks it rather than holding them accountable. The criminals have taken over.
The US reasoning here does not make sense. Even if more inclusive nuclear non-proliferation talks were initiated with China, India, Pakistan, etc., being in a nuclear deal with Russia would set precedent and represent some leverage. The US has now pulled out of two nuclear non-proliferation agreements - not a good track record for a leading role in efforts toward ending the madness of weapons of mass destruction.
Some younger people may take for granted the security and peace of mind in the absence of constant nuclear threat their parents and grandparents experienced during the Cold War. Seems like the current administration desires a return to a time when populations were expendable.
Nuclear weapons do not make the world safer. They are not a deterrent when enough countries have them. They do not protect people but hold people hostage by their corrupt governments.
1
Everyone should know by now that Russia is a rogue nation run by a dictator who does whatever he wants, breaks every rule, and is not bound by rule of law, or any signed agreement- much like Trump- only Trump is half as intelligent and has half the support. Russia is essentially like an overgrown North Korea. They are somehow bent on our destruction. Our president has put our country at a great disadvantage in order to enrich himself. He must be removed and held accountable.
1
Treaties can be breach or abandoned by any party at any time. The US has been in reacting mode rather than leading the way. The Russians are difficult to trust and their actions regarding low yield, mid range weapons in Europe requires a different approach.
While a sudden announcement to pull ou from the existing treaty may not be the best way to pave the way for a new nuclear weapons Defense strategy, the move is warranted. The stealth tactics of Russia can not be tolerated and a more encompassing and comprehensive treaty among all nuclear powers is required.
If there is an arms race, let it be! The US is in the best position to win that game. China is weaker economically and the ban on sensitive technology transfer must be stronger. As for Russia, they know they come no where near our technological and resource advantage and if the want to play hard we will play harder.
Bring it on Putin!
The Trump administration are experts at suspending treaties and exiting international agreements.Have they never heard of negotiation? Trump says he is a great negotiator- he has not negotiated anything.If the details of a deal do not suit him he simply walks away all the while insulting the people who would not accept his non-negotiable position.
2
Appropriately today is ground-hog day. With Mr Trump, every day is ground-hog day, as he makes endless completely irrational decisions, over and over again. Unfortunately, this one decision is considerably more deadly, than his normal "beautiful" wall obsession.
2
It’s unclear whether Trump has a plan in place? He never has a plan in place. He just has reactions to what’s on FOX News. It’s ironic how he spews about border security. Donald Trump is the biggest security threat not only to the US but to the free world. Republicans are well aware of this but all they care about is enriching the 1%. Shame on them for putting American citizens at risk and for loosening democracy around the world.
1
More money spent on weapons that are not needed, hopefully will never be used and if used will destroy humanity. I suspect this is more about money than defense of the country. Which stocks rose on the news? More than $700 Billion per year on military and growing. What is the return on that investment? Ask the ancient Greeks, the Romans, the French under Napoleon and last but not least the British. Good short term returns but long term? Not so good.
1
Utterly reckless irresponsibility with work peace, nuclear weapons, and happily bantering about the "possibility" of a nuclear Armageddon?
American Presidents like Reagan, Bush, and Eisenhower all realized how important nuclear agreements and disarmament treaties are?
Can Trump, Pompeo, and Bolton possibly be so stupid and so reckless? Or are they so self-deluded in their bubble of grandiosity that they can't realize what sort of fire they're playing with?
And as Trump and his gang tear up one international treaty after another, and break agreements and promises at will, the world realizes that the US is simply no longer a reliable nation to deal with. This applies to adversaries like China, Russia, and those in the Middle East. And even worse, it applies to our long-time friends and allies, like Canada, France, Germany, and Australia, whom Trump has broken faith with and simply insulted many times.
Our nation is increasingly alone in an increasingly hostile world that Trump and his gang have created.
How much more manifest evidence of his gross unfitness to serve as president do we need to have him removed from office by Constitutional safeguards?
2
I’ve said it before in these comments and will say again that Donald Trump is the biggest national security threat this country has right now. There are global gears moving hotter than have in decades.
1
This is exactly what Putin wants. Believing that two centers of power in the world is better than one, he needs a new arms race and will now say that it was the US who had started it. It is obvious that he intends to take care of some unfinished business on behalf of the late USSR, whose demise he has regretted every single day of his presidency.
1
This administration is bending over backward trying to create the awfully concomitant conditions to sparkle some sort of global conflict. History tells us any kind of war has been waged first and foremost because of economic reasons. So I wonder: is this so much trumpeted about American economic exploit, something Trump sees in his mind only?
1
I am scared to death by the deratification of these treaties. It means that the talk has stopped and production of fissionalble materials is started, and my family's lives are implicated.
I am not an expert on any of these matters, but I under may of the people who have been responsible for the long-term oversight of these matters are also concerned.
Please do what you can to get talks re-started, or the world may perish because of our inaction on these matters now.
1
So pullouts from the Climate Accord, Iran nuclear deal and UN agencies, and threats to NATO, just weren't enough. A few barked orders from the Kremlin, and off he goes again...
Trump and his overactive digits may be kept well away from the 'nuclear button', but here he is playing with nukes all the same, pulling out of an agreement that has substantially reduced the risk of nuclear war in Europe. Russia has already violated the treaty by deploying missiles that could deliver warheads to European targets (including US military bases). Now it has free rein to build any number of them, while blaming the United States for the collapse of the treaty and any arms race that results.
Of course, Brexit is another Russian-influenced crisis, and joined at the hip to Trump's ascendance. But Britain is more an irritant to Vlad. America is the big fish, and by playing it Putin has proved that Russia is winning the new cold war. All he needed was one amoral individual, backed by a complacent and corrupt party and in financial thrall to him, to tick off his wishlist and summarily trash US credibility, power and international relationships.
Trump himself is therefore a kind of guided missile. I'd say that the time for decommissioning this creaking warhead is long past. Mr Mueller, are we there yet?
1
This is a nuclear arms race. Putin said Russia will start work on creating new missiles, including hyper-sonic ones, and told ministers not to initiate disarmament talks with Washington.
The human race is committed to a path of suicidal insanity - a commitment thematically consistent with the entire history of the human race. 'God Help Us' ?
I don't know. The Book of Revelation suggests God perceives the future prospects for human stewardship and passed the hint long ago.
1
"It is unclear whether President Trump plans to replace the I.N.F. or to renew another major treaty, called New Start, which drove American and Russian nuclear arsenals to their lowest levels in nearly 60 years."
Really?
It would be like saying "It's not clear whether the Emperor actually has any clothes on..." .
2
I feel like what this is really about is we are building a new generation of nukes and don't want to be tied to any treaty. These treaties never made much sense anyway really. And hey why not start new arms race? Nothing like keep reliving the past instead of moving forward. Got to keep those weapons builders happy. The war machine monster must be fed.
2
US policy tweeted by the Mr Trump is not a good look for the competence and trustworthiness of the future of relationships of the US with old friends.
I continue to find it shocking that the president was elected by US voters.
Too many foreigners are identified as those who have made '' bad deals" with the US.
The bad guys include organisations once supported by the US:
NATO
Five Eyes
The UN
the World Bank
The Paris Agreement
The gross atrocities in Yemen and Syria are not front of mind of your president.
The situation in Afghanistan following the tweets is now much more complex.
Making a deal with the Taliban to exclude IS and Al-Qaeda is laughable.
Does Trump read intelligence reports?
1
I'm glad I live in NZ and our Constitution is enshrined in NZ being nuclear free. We don't even have nuclear power. It was a kiwi, Rutherford that split the atom and he did that for the betterment of mankind for medical research reasons. The guy would turn in his grave if he thought splitting the atom would end up being used for weapons of mass destruction.
1
Suddenly Russian collusion has gone out the window, Russia love is in. They’re abiding by the agreement just like Iran, and we are ready to throw it out. But didn’t Putin just brag that he had low-flying missives that were undetectable by radar? Isn’t this the same Putin who threatened us with a massive military response if we interfered with Venezuela? But Trump is the bad guy.
Trump is also being criticized for insisting on multilateralism in any future treaty by making all its signatories, e,g, China, India, etc. bound by its terms and not just the U,S. and Russia bilaterally. Suddenly multilateralism is out because the other nations will never agree? Maybe we should have another toothless Paris Accord where countries like China and India were given thirty years to catch up. Climate change takes eons. Pressing the nuclear button takes only a second.
1
They do realize, don’t they, that leaving INF also means that North Korea and Iran will step up nuclear arms production, and other countries as well, and that no country will ever again enter a treaty of any kind with the US. Don’t they?
1
As headlined, "It is not clear whether President Trump has a workable plan to replace the 1987 agreement or to renew another major treaty."
Let's just make an assumption here, given Trump's proclivities towards touting and bolstering his buddy Vladimir over the years: There is no such plan.
The expiration of this treaty is just one more vital task that the next President will have to prioritize in 2020.....
2
@Ed Pretty ridiculous that some people would see this affair as helping Russia. I'm sure the Russians would have preferred Obama's position on the INF. Letting them develop weapons while the US stayed in the treaty. Sorry Trump broke your theory.
1
Russia has also suspended the 1987 INF treaty in response to the Trump administration's move.
The Kremlin “counteraccused” the US of looking for an “excuse” to end the treaty. Putin said this morning:"All of our proposals in this sphere, as before, remain on the table, the doors for talks are open."
This must be seen as a pretext for a next Trump/Putin meeting.
Although the Obama administration would have withdrawn from INF, given Russia’s violation in 2014, Trump is seizing the opportunity to rewrite history – like Mikhail Gorbachev and Ronald Reagan did in 1987.
We might be seeing him and Putin portraying themselves as white knights of peace, expanding the scope of a new treaty to include China and others. The Kremlin must be keen to do so, because during the Bush administration Russia had “complained” about “newer” nuclear powers, like China, violating the terms with impunity.
Although the idea of cooperating with Russia is applaudable, but in Trump’s case, we must take his good intention with a pinch of salt, because he – as always – puts his ego ahead of the country’s interest.
4
@J. von Hettlingen I think putin wants to build hypersonic missiles, and is forced trump to withdraw first. Trump also wants to build his space force. Its all about looking powerful for these 2.
2
Getting out of a treaty is easy, getting back in will be challenging.
One would have thought, TPP, Paris Agreement (among others) would have been a good lesson.
But it seems DJT and team have decided to double down with more serious consequences.
7
History will reveal that the unrecorded meetings betweeen Putin and Trump produced mutual agreement to provide cover -- blame China and each other -- to terminate this Treaty.
1
"The decision has the potential to incite a new arms race — not only with Russia, but also with China"
I'm sure that is the real motive. I don't mean just feeding the MIC, I mean they wish to offset Chinese medium range missiles with American ones.
This has been discussed for years. It is portrayed as an advantage China has over the US, that it can reach many of its potential targets with smaller missiles, and without any treaty limits either.
Behind that is the idea that China will NOT use them for nuclear war. The fear is they will use them to defeat Taiwan with a prolonged barrage that would destroy the limited air force on Taiwan, and limited naval bases. It would open the way to invasion.
It is a very bad idea to put US shorter range missiles in range of China. The US does not need to nor ought it wish to set up missiles on the territory of nations in range of China. US missiles in the US must be longer range.
What are we thinking? To set up counter-battery missile masses on Taiwan for a conventional counter barrage? We'd never get there, see the Cuban Missile Crisis for likely reactions and options.
This is not really about Russia at all. Russia is just in the way. It is dealt with just fine with our nuclear triad, with or without shorter range missiles.
6
@Mark Thompson: Have you forgotten in the debate with Clinton that Trump did not know what the American nuclear triad is? How can Trump, who does not believe his own intelligence heads, be trusted to make an informed decision about anything this complicated when he does not read and repeatedly displays such poor judgment? The Congress is risking the security of the country and our very lives by letting Trump continue in office when is unfit from ignorance and incompetence. If there is a nuclear event, will anyone be alive to tell you I told you so? It is crazy we are discussing this. Trump has to be stopped and removed. He is not competent and a threat to our national security.
2
@Mark Thomason They don't have to be deployed in Taiwan. Distance from Okinowa to Taiwan is about 570 miles. Perfect distance for intermediate range missiles to defend our Navy in the Pacific.
1
Two years in office and this Swindler has managed to negate 75 years of improving relations among us and the rest of the world.
This is your GOP helping turn us in to the unwanted, creating hostility between us and those we were friends with. And in a few days he will go before congress and brag about what a great job he has done, and how respected we have become because of him. And he expects us to believe him and his lies about how we have to seal the border to get his wall.
28
The INF Treaty was ratified by the Senate in 1987 by a 93-5 vote. This wasn’t an agreement negotiated by the Reagan administration without approval by the other coequal branch of government. How can a president unilaterally, without the approval of the Senate, decide to abandon a treaty? Shouldn’t treaty obligations be as difficult to abrogate as they are to enact?
48
What is this??? Are we regressing to the '50's? Pulling out of a nuclear controls treaty? I can't believe. This must be a nightmare and I'll soon wake up.
16
This is probably the big deal Putin was after all along, and his boy Trump just came through. Now both can beef up their defense spending. Putin in particular needs it for his moribund economy. And for his designs on Europe.
17
Americans of military draft age would rather play Pokemon than retain the US as hegemon.
3
Trump wants two wars, not just one.
Who is going to pay for his games?
5
Russia doesn't have the economy to support an arms race. They likely will just let us spend and then let us police the rest of the world. The GOP likely also likes that they can shovel more dollars into the military industries. This is just old fashioned republican give outs. While our missiles may be aging there is no information here that suggests that they are still not capable of total world destruction. If you can do that why would you need more? Oh, I forgot, we need smaller ones so we can kill only ten thousand people at a time. Nothing could escalate from that. If the GOP thinks they can tank Russia by getting them into an arms race they are likely wrong.
By the way, it appears that Trump is out of the loop on this one. “I hope we’re able to get everybody in a big, beautiful room and do a new treaty that would be much better.” Hilarious!
11
@Chris "Russia doesn't have the economy to support an arms race."
Does the US? When was the last time you looked at its balance sheets?
As for the Russians, they have annexed Crimea without firing a single shot. Don't underestimate Putin. If the need be, he'll recreate Gulag and have his people work for free.
1
Why not? Isn't the logical outcome from Individual-1's belief that he "knows more than the generals". Believe that and I have a bridge or two to sell you, on the cheap.
4
It must be made bluntly and clearly that the whole benefit of "low yield" weapons is to trade utter destruction of whole countries or in the case of Europe, whole continents to the destruction of ONLY a whole city at a time.
Moreover, should any fool have the ignorant idea of using a "low yield" weapon, there a high likelihood that it would instantly escalate into the use of the standard megaton strategic weapons with detonations on land and in the atmosphere in such a way as to make many or most heavily populated locations in the world unlivable.
It is terrifying to listen to Trump and Pompeo in their cavalier discussions of withdrawing from the treaty with them in clear ignorance of the consequences of the use of ANY nuclear weapons.
It would be well for most citizens, if they want to consider themselves "informed" to read a description of the destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki each by a single weapon of the order of the size that the "low yield" weapons have. That level of destruction was far beyond the sum total destruction rained down on England during WWII for months of conventional weapons. Look at the photos of stupendous destruction. Read about the agonizing injuries and the long term incidence of cancer.
After such a study, then let's talk about withdrawal from the INF.
11
Well, we no longer have to accuse the Russians of cheating. That’s done.
Now Trump can focus his energies on getting us to Mars by 2020.
2
@Ronald
I will gladly remit a few extra tax dollars in order to send Trump to Mars by 2020, along with McConnell, Bolton, Pompeo....
2
Now that Trump has gotten that pesky nuclear arms treaty out of the way, he can concentrate full time on the wall. Have to have your priorities right.
2
America is withdrawing from all kinds of treaties thereby isolating itself from the rest of the world. How does it help America ?
8
Nuclear weapons are not a deterrent to conflict or war.
They are a means for those who have them to bully others that do not.
There is no way to assure that these weapons will not be used in time of war.
The destruction of the planet is assured if current stock piles are used.
Knowing what we know, why is it that congress and the senate allow a person like Trump to unilaterally terminate an agreement however imperfect it may be?
If we as people can be so moronic as to elect Trump as president, we must at all cost get rid of these weapons entirely.
6
Huge gift to Russia and Putin, who will be free to build up and do whatever he decides is necessary for him to fulfill his agenda. Whatever happened to diplomatic pressure for offending violations? What position will our allies (old?) take towards the U.S.?
This president has gone fully rogue as the principal lapdog to Putin. The wall nonsense, diversion of the military to the southern border where there is no emergency, reallocation of funds, this begins to form the shape of a wag-the-dog distraction from his Russia policies. There is no reason whatsoever for this president to force our nation into a new arms race. This, more than anything else, merits public - very public - investigation to Trump's entanglement with Russia and censure, if indicated, or impeachment as required by the evidence, if indicated. Time is of the essence.
6
This is the same logic as handing out suspensions for skipping school.
2
Putin and the Russian mafia are the winners in this.
Every analyst agrees, this harms the USA.
It destabilizes the world.
It creates anxiety and despair among thoughtful
people everywhere.
It frightens and depresses the young.
If it creates terror in the hearts of the people,
it must be the work of terrorists.
It is the policy of the government of the USA.
8
Treaty's work when both sides are in agreement which was the case for INF once the US brought the Ground Launched Cruise Missiles (GLCM) to Europe to challenge the Soviets' Warsaw Pact deployment of SS-20s. I enforced the INF Treaty inspecting missiles coming out of the Votkinsk Missile factory in the mid-90s, using cargo scan x-ray methods to ensure the banned SS-20 was not being produced. The Russians inspected at the Morton-Thiokol factory in Ogden, Utah for the GLCM. The Russian's have chosen to step away from the Treaty and the US and all our NATO allies have called them out. Russia has 6 months to comply or the US and our NATO allies will make appropriate defense decisions to counter this threat. We will not stand idly by with one arm tied behind our back. Don't forget China, who could barely spell IRBM in the 80s already has an array of missiles in this class.
1
As known for awhile, the Soviets are in “technical” violation of the I.N.F., a marquee treaty that, along with START, has minimized the threat of a nuclear exchange among all weaponized nations since Reagan and Gorbachev signed it. You don’t scrap a existentially crucial agreement over arguably credible “technical” violations. You talk, renegotiate. You engage and partner with your allies, something the hawks in this administration are not likely to do. What will they do? I doubt if there’s an actual plan. It all looks like a some dominant chauvinistic play with no thought to and end-game, a perfect pitch to a witless and corrupted President with grandiosity roaring through his head.
4
It will sound grand in Tuesday’s SoU speech, just don’t look for DJT to understand what Putin talked him into.
2
What is clear is that Trump continues to sell our country out to Putin and his lot while his cabinet folks dismantle protections and quality of life issues for all Americans in favor of their fat cat rich friends. When will it end? We may not be able to wait until 2020 whcn it will surely end.
4
The US should not suspend talks with Russia or any country. This is foolishly shortsighted. Having no treaty is foolishly shortsighted. Excluding China in this discussion makes no sense.
Spending massive resources on defense is barbaric. Way to go America.
So you don't trust Putin. But like a godfather, you can still work with him and he will, in most cases, uphold his obligations, even thought the Russian government is not above outright lies.
The US: Building walls not bridges.
4
trump wants to get everybody in a big , beautiful room ? This is how 21st century leader speak ? History will NOT be kind . Will he sway them with some pieces of big ,beautiful chocolate cake ?
4
this is an arms dealer's dream come true.
trump is about making money for his cronies.
this has nothing to do with national security...it's a stimulus package for the arms business, just like all those kids locked up at the border are feeding the prison industry.
7
Similar voices of doom from the left were heard in Reagans term." cowboy Ray-gun would surely blow up the world" and such.
Instead; nuclear bombers no longer were aloft 24-7-365, 30 thousand - warheads were dismantled, large numbers of bombers scrapped.
Histrionic voices from the left were wrong then and have little credibility now.
1
More great wisdom from Mr. We Have Them Why Don’t We Use Them.
Talk about a security threat!
4
This may all be for show, so who knows what hidden deal Donald has made with his handlers in Moscow. What we do know is that he is a man who has spent his whole life enriching no one but himself.
3
Difficult to negotiate with a country that a member of your national security council is already calling "the enemy".
3
When will the Republicans in Congress wake up?
4
Mike Pompeo was groomed from the get go by the Koch brothers and is still beholden to them. They give him his marching orders and he dutifully delivers them to the world as US policy.
3
The question, when it comes to this nuclear delusion, is what is the occult psychosis that's driving these people to keep upping the ante as if we are living in fifteenth century Europe when our technology has turned the planet into a Cosmic dinghy full of knife wielding egomaniacs? Not to mention the fact that if we keep dreaming about nuclear annihilation we shall ultimately get what we're unconsciously wishing for- the end of the species.
The galaxy won't even notice.
4
Why are "we" even contemplating a "new arms race", with a practically bankrupt government that can't find a way to support universal healthcare, a decent social safety net, adequately funded public schools, an infrastructure that is not collapsing? Fewer than ten Democratic senators voted nay last year to increase the military budget, though we have 800 bases of various sorts around the world. When will our government stop genuflecting to the Military Industrial Complex and reflect the real world reality that our country is in tatters?
2
I wonder if we're going to see the birth rate drop during the Trump administration.
I have kids, but I would have given that choice a 2nd and even a 3rd thought if I saw these kinds of things happening before their births.
How is it possible we are regressing as a society, as a nation, and as a global community?
This administration cannot be gone fast enough. I hope we all survive to see the end of it.
5
The opinons expressed by Pompeo about Russian abrogation of the treaty are not just off-the-cuff remarks. They are the result of intelligence agency and DOD assessments of Russian developments and capability - assessments that have been ongoing continuously throughout several presidencies.
It appears, that the strategic balance that was to be maintained via this treaty, has not been maintained, and lesser actions by previous presidents have not achieved the desired effect.
So, what ? Do nothing. Again ?
Better to make it clear that treaties can be discarded and balance restored the old-fashioned way.
We outspent the Soviet Union in the last Cold War and we can do it again. It brought them to their knees and it will do it again. They diverted their entire economy into weapons and starved their own people. That won't work this time - the Soviet Union is gone. It will all come crashing down more rapidly.
Further, our own technology needs updating.
And, in order to make it clear to China that they need to read and re-read the theory behind Mutually Assured Destruction, new development on our part has strategic value.
1
I thought this was the bilateral agreement president. Is he changing his views? Or is there some rationale for peace agreements in his mind that are different from trade agreements?
1
What kind of a Treaty was it if China is not a party and Russia is openly violating it? If the USA is the only nation adhering to it, the time has come to negotiate a new treaty with at the least the 3 largest players at the table.
2
Two questions:
1. What penalties are in place for countries that signed the I.N.F., but don't abide by it?
2. How else does Russia benefit from just having the I.N.F. ended?
I do so miss having competent leaders in Washington.
3
This president has turned the presidency on its head. Everything we celebrated other presidents for accomplishing, he's undoing. Reagan was applauded for working with Russia to forge a treaty and initiating the collapse of the Soviet Union. Clinton for not only welfare reform (which may not have been a good thing in the end), but balancing the budget. Obama for Obamacare and climate and trade treaties. All now abandoned by this president. We are rolling back Social Security, cutting Medicaid, lowering taxes, exploding the deficit. The only thing this president seems to have in mind is chaos.
3
Article 2 Section 2 grants the Executive powers to make treaties provided 2/3 or Congress agrees- but it does not grant the power to undo treaties once ratified by the Legislative branch.
I must ask:
Once ratified by Congress, what mechanism within the Constitution allows the Executive branch to independently nullify the Legislative branch’s action?
4
It seem there are two, possibly three, heads to this administration. There are the war hawks, Bolton and Pompeo and, until recently, General Mattis, who was involved in building up long-range missiles capable of striking Russia/China. This in response to a new Russian weapon capable of dirtying up America's West coast. So, Mattis was focused on an arms race already announced back in Spring 2018 with our traditional enemy, Russia. Trump appeared to know about this at the time. It is still in the pipe line making money and providing jobs. I am thinking that Bolton and Pompeo want the shorter range missiles to confront China in the western Pacific and that is why Pompeo/Bolton want to end the I.N.F. treaty with Russia. Russia likes that part, but probably did not approve of General Mattis's attitude. Enter Trump, not in accord with Mattis but with Putin. Putin and Trump agree on American withdrawal of American troops in Syria. Mattis leaves the field to the president's discretion. But those long range missiles remain. Important question. When is the subject of nuclear war going to be discussed? And with which nations? Or are we going to go to war?
2
Since it's not clear whether President Trump has a "workable plan" for anything, I doubt very much if he has one for this.
3
Donald Trump had no idea what Mutual Assured Destruction is, and between him and Bolton et al, we are on the road to a greater risk of a nuclear conflagration. On top of distrustful allies, and emboldened enemies, we are in for some difficult times ahead.
3
“For the next 10 years, the Congressional Budget Office said in January, the cost of nuclear upgrades has increased to $494 billion, or 87 times the amount Mr. Trump is seeking for his border wall. Over the next 30 years, the estimate is $1.2 trillion.”
Seems to me THIS is the crux of the matter. Follow the money. The weapons industrial complex wants MORE money. Best way to get sales going is to remove pesky agreements because of worries about instability in the world! Ha!
4
Will this be the final piece of evidence that Mueller needs to prove Trump's complicity with the Russians? Freeing Russia from this treaty is a gift of gifts to Putin. Very worrying times.
4
@Mark Bau
This is madness.
Trump is CONFRONTING Russia, not colluding with Russia.
It was _Obama_ who appease Medvedev and Putin in 2012, promising them secretly - or so Obama thought, unaware of the hot microphone - that he would scuttle the promised sale of our most devastating weaponry: the Patriot missile defense system that the Israelis have used to such great effect in eliminating the threat of missiles launched against that country.
Trump is Putin's nightmare.
You have it exactly backwards.
Wise up.
This move to cancel IMF has all the ear marks of the reckless John Bolton who like Trump has longed to walk away any treaty obligation that would keep us from nuclear destruction. Bolton has wanted this for a long time and with Trump's reckless drive to look tough he has found the guy to continue an attack on anything that would create a peaceful world. His attacks on comity while our United Nations rep prove the point.
But beyond this, Trump enjoys throwing his weight around without regard to consequences. Treaties always need improvements, but that is no excuse for his direct attacks on our environment and now his bringing us so much closer to nuclear war. Irresponsibility is Trump's signature way of doing things and he as president brings new meaning to the word.
3
"It is not clear whether President Trump has a workable plan to ... " Same plan as always: Bluster, Fume, Lambaste All Who Came Before, "I am the only one who matters" ... but no workable replacement.
2
So the view of the author of this article is that Trump is being TOO hard on Russia? I thought Russia was the problem, the people who were "sowing discord in our democracy"? Why would the termination of an accord, one that was drafted before the inception of the Russian Federation mind you, be a bad thing when we are constantly told that tbeir nation must pay a price for their meddling?
3
It took decades of time and the efforts of literally thousands of people to put the Russian and Iranian arms agreements in place, yet if you get a deranged person in the presidency he can dismantle them quickly and somewhat unilaterally.
The experience of having President Trump as our president has increasingly become like that of hiring a new custodian for your treasured historic building, only to find that he shows up for work one day and starts smashing the building with a sledge hammer; you're powerless to stop him, and when you call the cops they're strangely reluctant to do anything. Am I being unfair?
2
The nuclear arms race between nations has always been the international social battle of only the worlds governments directed by their military's with a vested interest in fomenting hatred and paranoia to justify their empire building. This holds true for all nations and their leaders who come to realize that focusing their citizens on external targets of hatred reduces the danger to themselves from within from their own nation's citizens. It is the strategy of all the worlds leaders for many millennia. The result is that the small government endangers the billions of world inhabitants under threat of nuclear destruction. So who should be jailing who?
3
This is not a blow to Russia--it's a boon. We get nothing out of an enhanced ability to threaten with intermediate-range missiles. But Russia does--just ask the increasingly anxious Europe. This act of Trump's fits perfectly with his desire to abandon NATO. It fits with his calling Europe our "rival", yes, one of the old allies he is divesting us of. What a good friend he is to our enemies.
4
Pompeo reminds me of the lead character in Sopranos! But less smart.
1
Yet another concession to Russia. No wonder Americans are questioning Trump's loyalty.
4
In trade, Trump wants to torpedo multilateral agreements in favor of bilateral ones. In nuclear arms, he blows up bilateral agreements because he wants multilateral ones. Basically, he's against anything that came before him, and his narcissism results in a need to over-compensate for the small size of his hands.
3
“It is not clear whether president Trump has a workable plan...”
It IS perfectly clear. He doesn’t. He never has, and he never will. Workable plans do not exist in Trump World.
I’m an atheist, but I’m praying that this country under Trump doesn’t go the way of casinos under Trump, or vodka under Trump, or airlines under Trump, or bottled water under Trump, or steaks under Trump, or a university under Trump, or . . . well, pick your failure, he’s got a lot to choose from.
God willing and the creek don’t rise, the US won’t be another of them.
2
No medium range nuclear missile treaty?
Well, at least North Korea and Iran will be happy about it.
(And! What better way to get Russia to conform to a treaty than to not have one?)
2
Having lived through the worst of the cold war I've got to say that I don't want to live through that again. Trump had better beware of the "fire and fury" of the American middle. Maybe find himself a safe place under his desk.
3
The INF treaty banned land-based "intermediate-range" nuclear missiles by which the Soviets (1987) could destroy London, Paris, Munich, other European capitals and European NATO bases from the soil of the USSR--now Russia proper. Correspondingly, the INF treaty protected Russia from the threat of land-based missiles launched from the U.K., France, Germany and other European NATO members. But, on the whole, it was European NATO members who received the greater benefit by far because the USSR could still be targeted by American intercontinental missiles and the U.S. could still be targeted by the same type of missiles launched from the USSR.
The INF treaty tried to remove the European fear that could Europe wouldn't be the first-stage nuclear battlefield in a war between the U.S. and the USSR.
Russia has promised to target European nations which host new land-based "intermediate-range" nuclear missiles which threaten Russia. Will the European NATO members allow the U.S. to station such new land-based missiles in the U.K., Germany, Poland? One would think not.
More importantly, does the end of the INF treaty--no matter who is at fault for its demise--spell the non renewal of other nuclear arms treaties and the end of any new ones? Probably.
Much of Russia's fears stem from the U.S. pushing NATO past Germany right to the Russian border, with Russia fearing it could lose a conventional war. A justified fear? How many countries has the U.S. invaded since 2001?
1
I haven't heard a single explanation as why the US should withdraw from our own treaty, let alone a rational one. I have heard several rational explanations as to why this is not a good thing. In what world are John Bolton and Mike Pompeo?
187
@K Brennan MAJ(ret) The US withdrawal allows Russia to speed ahead with medium range nuclear weapons without restraint. Looks like winners here are Russia and nuclear weapons’ manufacturers.
28
@K Brennan MAJ(ret)
If the Criminal Justice system were to take a book out of Trump's playbook, they'd be letting all incorrigible criminals go free. "You are hopeless, therefore we will let you go free" What is the point one may ask? Reductio Ad Absurdum!
There is no rational explanation Sir, other than the fact that the jailor must benefit from having that criminal out on the streets. One would just have to accept the fact that the jailor is not a good man, and everything will start to make more sense. Our Democracy has failed, and the sooner we publicly admit that fact, the sooner we can fix it.
22
@K Brennan MAJ(ret) There are two explanations. 1) Putin asked Trump. 2) The MIC can now reap new profits.
34
Congress should refuse to ratify Trump's idiotic action on this item. I plan to write my Congresspersons and to ask that they do so. Yes, I know Congress usually goes along with what the President, but they are not required to ratify a deal made by a traitor and mad man.
10
Trump is not happy unless he's sowing chaos. That's the way he ran his failed businesses into the ground. That's the way he's running the US into the ground.
22
Seems to me that withdrawing from the arms agreement is playing right into Putin's hand giving him a free hand in developing Russia's nuclear arsenal. Why?
17
Machiavelli would applaud Trump. In Machiavelli's view, Necessity demanded the treaty when Reagan signed it, Necessity demands its violation when a later Prince (President) breaks it.
But then again, look what happened to Machiavelli.
7
Isn't it obvious by now? This is the beginning of the end of the American republic - at least, as we've known it - and of the old world order. Think about it: the very fact that Trump was elected and that horrendously unprincipled, corrupt, and self-serving politicians support and shield him, indicates that the country is so thoroughly rotten that it can never return to its former condition.
The whole world is in turmoil. Truly, a new world order will have to take shape - and one based not on political considerations but perhaps on more humanistic principles. And for this we need to work together - all of us, everyone on the planet - and pursue a higher ideal than those which have motivated and are motivating the countries of the world at present.
29
All arms control treaties work - until they don't. The history of arms control treaties is a history of failure. The limitations on the number and size of warships between the two world wars worked just fine, except that Germany violated the treaty's prohibition on submarines and both Germany and Japan renounced the treaties when it no longer suited them.
There has been no nuclear war to date because it would be massively destructive to both sides, not because of any treaty. And even more important, the risk of a nuclear attack may come from a non-state actor (like ISIS or al-Qaeda) if they can ever get their hands on a nuke. They aren't signatories to any arms limitation treaties.
4
Follow the money. Who benefits from ramping up the nuclear arms race? And when those that benefit make their money, who do you think they skim a little off the top to pay off bigly? Follow the money.
20
This nuclear proliferation, permitting countries to strut and threaten one another, is deadly serious.
At the core, there is no logic to nuclear proliferation unless global contamination and radiation death is the goal. Countries are developing weapons that will not just kill perceived enemies, but their own populations as well.
It's true that Russia is a grave threat to Europe. With a cool head and a cold heart, Putin wants to take back every former Soviet country, and then some.
Russia hasn't honored the non-proliferation agreement, true. But the U.S. is backing out of yet another accord, at Europe's peril, defying the U.S. long-term alliance with the EU and leaving doubt as to American NATO commitment.
There would be no winners in a Northern hemisphere blown to bits, and who knows who would win. China and Russia could. Any scenario one looks at, one sees misery.
We should stay in the accord, let Russia be the bad guys, and defend our NATO partners if necessary.
If China joins the fray, we are not constrained by any accord with them.
9
I wholeheartedly agree with the sentiment, but the military industrial complex demands unending war, and what better way to continue to line its pockets and feed its insatiable appetites than to reignite the Cold War.
2
The actions of a failing empire. It is getting impossible to see anything good on the United States any longer. The only question is how much destruction and suffering will it inflict before it collapses?
17
Maybe the U.S. should model its democracy after Sierra Leone? Forthright and transparent government, no doubt!
A bit of familiarity with recent history and the biographies of key players in this drama, makes it perfectly clear that this is a step long desired by our military-industrial -nuclear-madness complex and its political servants and agents.
Pompeo, and especially Bonkers Bolton, are mad bombers at heart and have almost never seen an aggressive, provocative foreign policy gambit they didn't fall in love with.
Keep your eye on "defense" industry stocks. There are fortunes to be made in preparing to destroy civilization.
13
I'd like to see a "world treaty" that bans super powers like the U.S. from illegally invading and/or interfering in other countries.
Any nation breaching the treaty will bear economic sanctions and trade embargoes.
7
@Michael
Best idea I've heard in a long time. And imagine how much you could shrink the US military by if they weren't so busy going around the world knocking off democratically elected governments of sovereign nations. The savings would pay for full ObamaCare for everyone several times over.
2
Call me a "conspiracy theorist", but here is a hypothetical scenario. The leaders of the US and Russia have conversations that are not recorded, that nobody knows the details. In those conversations they agree to "pretend" to escalate differences, so that people think there is nothing between them. Treaties are abandoned. Their friends and families know this ahead of time and invest in companies that produce the "right" goods (missile parts, etc.). They get richer.
Well, maybe I got it all wrong...
9
I am really concerned about why Putin wants Trump to withdraw from the Treaty. There must be a big benefit to Russia that we are as yet unaware of.
5
There will be no reboot of an arms race if Trump now simply unilaterally disarms us. Even if congress appropriates funds to support military upgrades and enhancements Trump can simply not spend the money. Trump and Putin are likely both of the mind that if the U.S. population cannot be suborned into the compliance and control by the Russian syndicate via subordination of our political system, they can be brought under control through military means especially if our defenses have been diminished.
4
Thanks for a great article David, so we have President Trump wanting to Leave NATO, demeaning NATO... while perhaps reigniting an arms race of Intermediate Range Missiles which by their inherent range limitations would have to be based within European NATO countries. Some may say this is just to say he is being tough on Russia, I couldn’t possibly comment.
4
"Moscow asserts that the missile does not fly far enough to breach the limits established in an accord that,"
So how far does it fly?
5
What's mind-boggling is the lack of push-back on the KGB president. This is impeachment worthy. But...
Manafort is the designated fall-guy and by agreement from both parties. Apparently, similarly to junior's blocked call, the Democrats are grasping for evidence that doesn't exist.
Wonder why no one challenges Trump's pardoning power? Are not these crimes part of an impeachment investigation? Doesn't that spell 'unpardonable'?
So why is the strategy to use NY state as a go-around? Why do the Dems talk in terms of the 2020 election?
Why are emoluments and competency off the table?
The fix reveals itself.
2
So Trump, who claims he can make all of the best deals ever, just by himself, wants to drop out of this so HIS weapons can be bigger and better and tougher.
I think a vast majority of the "fake news" media are treating him way too kindly about what to me is a fact: he has a self centered strutting MALE dominant personality.
3
If the Trump administration is concerned that Russia isn't in compliance with this treaty why are they lifting sanctions on Oleg Deripaska, who has deep ties to Vladimir Putin?
Why did they agree to lift these sanctions at all?
No need to answer. The special counsel will let us know.
4
With a compliant comedian in the White House, Putin and Xi get to divide up the world. US out of NATO and trade agreements? In steps Russia with defense and China with new trade deals for Europe. America gets to withdraw from the World stage and try to rebuild it's industrial base at home.
This is Putin's vision. Did we get to vote on this?
4
This administration clearly lacks creativity and problem solving skills...only “easy” answers to complex issues. This is the stuff of demagogues. Withdraw and deconstruct, but no future plans. What now?
3
So let’s see, Russians were cheating on the treaty and now with Trump, Pompeo, Bolton walking away from the treaty, Russians get to keep building intermediate nuclear missiles, but are no longer cheating. Another genius move from Trump and company. I don’t think we are going to survive the “Art of the Deal” dealmaking from Trump - where America always loses.
Putin pulls the string on his Trump puppet again. America loses, Putin wins.
12
Am I the only citizen of the US thinking this is just another maneuver to convince Trump’s base that he’s “tough on Russia”? He and his Cabinet seem to ignore the ramifications of actions such as these. Sad!
5
Inviting a new nuclear arms race and a potentially apocalyptic global war is a really interesting choice for a bunch of people who wring their hands over the fate of “ western civilization.”
4
Since these weapons are targeted on Western Europe, this is another move to destabilize NATO. Coming a few weeks after the relaxation of sanctions on Derepaska, it’s Christmas for Putin.
6
Trump administration is attacking to world on all fronts. Their premise is that US have been shortchanged in all these subjects (climate change, bilateral trade, nuclear trade, Iran nuclear deal, NAFTA, whatnot). Either all previous administration (and US agencies, intelligence, etc.) were in the wrong to allow all this happen, or Trump administration is in a delusion of grandiose.
All the trick Trump has up his sleeves is arm-twisting. He tried with his wall funding and government shutdown and had to back down. Does he think world is any less tougher? They're only treating him how one deals with an immature person or child.
2
Yup, it's a smooth operator who decides to sink to or below the level of his opponent - typical Trump behavior. I so miss the days when our school children practiced for survival of a nuclear attack (not!). My pride in America is dwindling with every Trump administration action that goes unpunished.
4
Are they serious? What possible good could come out of this? This negates fifty years of negotiation and compromise through both Republican and Democratic administrations. This is the most important disarmament agreement between the USA and Russia. This does not bode well for anyone anywhere. What exactly will this accomplish other than a destabilizing of not only the USA and Russia, but the world. Why we are agreeing to this is incomprehensible.
254
@Michael Gilbert
It is unfortunate. What's also unfortunate is that with the presumed "end" of the cold war no "swords were beat into plowshares". Thus, here we are today.
8
@Michael Gilbert - you are absolutely correct in your comments. In China, we are witnessing an immense build-up of military hardware that will pose a threat to the US and its allies in the South China Sea, in the Indo-Pacific theatre and in the South Pacific.
With China's resolute determination not to be bullied or told what to do by anyone -- more importantly by what is viewed here as an impotent, ignorant, dangerous and isolationist Trump -- as well as China wanting to have its say and sway in Asia, what Trump and his war-mongering cronies have done is to bring us a step closer to "doomsday."
Trump is a destroyer of treaties, of friendships, of peace, of alliances. He must be removed.
22
@Charles The Cold War ended under Reagan. The Soviet Union no longer exists.
2
The Cold War ended under Reagan.
On Jan. 17, 1961, President Dwight Eisenhower gave the nation a dire warning about what he described as a threat to democratic government. He called it the military-industrial complex, a formidable union of defense contractors and the armed forces.
.
How much stock does Trump own in the military industrial complex?
4
I remember thinking to myself when Reagan asked for the "wall" to be taken down, then the collapse of the Soviet Union happened, how naive everyone was to think this was actually the end of the cold war. It never actually ended for Putin, he is playing a chess game with us as it would seem he doesn't have anything better to do with his time... We in the US are very naive, this is the time we should be building alliances, holding others to their treaties, including ourselves and the the ones we promised. There truly is a cancer on our presidency right now, who is allowing this into our country. Where are the"heroes" ?
173
@Missy Trump has as good a chance of dealing with Putin effectively as any of the other “leaders” around, likely better. Congress loves imposing sanctions but how effective are they? I’m for giving Trump a chance at dealing with it. I know it’s waste of time to argue with Trump Detangement Syndrome
1
@Missy: We never stopped playing a chess game with Russia either. Once the wall was down we rushed to encircle Russia and expand NATO with countries that were/are in its sphere of influence. Good for us and bad for them.
9
@MissyMr Putin plays a very long game. Holding Europe captive, entangling them in energy contracts, avoiding direct confrontations with China, destabilizing the US domestically, building an ally relationship with Israel and others in the Middle East, is the long game that the US used to be very good at.
11
"Listen, Vlad, our defense industry is warning me of layoffs if we don't spend some money soon to replenish our nuclear arsenal. Do you mind very much if I go ahead and suspend that arms control treaty----Oh, you wanted to do the same thing? Well, how do you like that? Great minds really do think alike. Thanks a bunch. By the way, it turns out that you didn't do enough hacking and fake-news-planting to help me out with the midterms. Do you think you can step it up in 2020?--- Thanks, Vlad, I knew I could count on you. Speaking of which, let me know if you're interested in that other offer I made you. I can always find some way of wishing Pence a fond dosvedanya."
12
So who is telling the truth, who has the most to gain with the suspension of the Nuclear Arms Control Treaty. Another question is why hasn't the United States used sanctions to attempt to bring Russia into Compliance, as we have done with North Korea, and Iran. Also why has talks with China on military and Nuclear expansion not been addressed. My conclusion is that Russia will be able to extend aggression, along with China and the United States at will. The treaty at least offers a skeleton for future negotiation and up date and expand the treaty on evolving weapons, including cyber weapons. But Russia, China and the United States are on paths of mutual escalation when the United States should be leading the way to a safer world. How about expanding the Nuclear Arms Treaty to include all nuclear powers. That would be something great.
3
>>> ". . . who has the most to gain with the suspension of the Nuclear Arms Control Treaty[?]"
Defense contractors.
2
@Steve
"How about expanding the Nuclear Arms Treaty to include all nuclear powers."
Ha! Do you think Israel will give up their nuclear weapons program?
1
It took the Truman, Eisenhower, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Cater, Reagan, bush, Clinton, Bush and Obama administrations to deal with the Cold War, the nuclear buildup and nuclear build down. to finally get it under control. Going as far, with the UN, t discourage countries like Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, India, South Africa, north Korea, China and Israel from creating another nuclear arms race. Nearly 70 years of work, heartache, deaths, Berlin Wall, Cuban Missile Crisis, the Iron Curtain, etc. to accomplish this. It sputtered through the years, but finally nuclear arms were being destroyed, as well as the means to make them.
Now, in two years, Trump, whose touch seems to taint everything he touches, wants to start a new nuclear arms race. He wants to do to international security, what eh did to international trade, with his nationalist MAGA doctrine.
In the novel "1984", they never explain how Oceania, Eurasia and East Asia came about. We just know these three nations are authoritarian, controlled by the 1%, and are at a stalemate to create a single world power. It looks like Trump, Xi, and Putin have the same aspirations. Each day, the world seems to be heading in the direction of "1984".
Xi and Putin are dangerous, because they know exactly what they are doing. In the US, historically, a bulwark against authoritarianism, is led by the president in another novel "Dr. Strangelove"; a complete clueless, ignorant, simpleton shell of a man.
What hath God wrought?
16
@Nick Metrowsky excellent appraisal!
2
An unfortunate step backwards.
Intermediate range nuclear weapons have vanishingly few applications for an advanced nuclear power, but exponentially add to proliferation and nuclear escalation concerns. This is why the USA and USSR chose to ban them.
Even if Russia is now violating that treaty, there is no increased threat to the USA nor are there any new reasons or applications where we would want intermediate range nuclear weapons.
The USA could continue to be the leader on nuclear arms policy by staying in the treaty and holding the high ground rather than effectively greenlighting smaller powers around the world building intermediate range platforms.
9
Well isn't this charming... takes me back to the air raid drills of my youth. I remember how I felt as a 5 year old... go to the basement of your school because the building's stronger there. Crouch down with your face pressed against the wall and your arms blocking the open sides around your stomach because it's better to take shrapnel in the back. Thanks, GOP. I'm so glad to think that my younger grandchildren will experience this too.
12
"Senator Edward J. Markey, Democrat of Massachusetts, who focuses on nuclear issues on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, called the treaty’s suspension “a tragedy that makes the world less safe.”
So the world is more safe if China and Russia have these intermediate range missiles and the US doesn't? I guess logic is not a democrat strong point.
1
Yes.
Intermediate range nuclear weapons have vanishingly few applications for an advanced nuclear power, but exponentially add to proliferation and nuclear escalation concerns. This is why the USA and USSR chose to ban them.
Even if Russia is now violating that treaty, there is no increased threat to the USA nor are there any new reasons or applications where we would want intermediate range nuclear weapons.
The USA could continue to be the leader on nuclear arms policy by staying in the treaty and holding the high ground rather than effectively greenlighting smaller powers around the world building intermediate range platforms.
8
Actually the geography of the U.S. doesn't require mid-range missiles.
3
No one is safe with a world filled with nuclear weapons. In on thinks otherwise, irrationality has replaced common sense.
3
The U.S. government officials might have already decided to have the capability to fight and win a nuclear war against the People's Liberation Army. Toward that goal, the US. government has begun production of lower yield nukes. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jan/28/us-nuclear-weapons-first-low-yield-warheads-roll-off-the-production-line
While some believe no one can win a nuclear war, that argument depends on conflating America and the American government. While America could easily lose big, with us killed, but the top officials would be safe in bunkers, winning according to their definition of "winning."
As the PLA becomes stronger with conventional weapons, it would take an ever increasing percentage of the American GDP for the American government to stay ahead. This seems unsustainable. Hence, the American government is relying more on nukes, becoming an even bigger menace to humanity. Our concern for humanity is not the overriding concern of the rulers. A study of American government history supports this conclusion.
4
Well this silliness only plays if you believe in limited nuclear exchanges: PRC nukes a carrier, we nuke a PRC capital ship, everyone calls it good. The USA’s stated policy has been for decades that if a state uses a chemical/biological/nuclear weapon against our citizens, then we will use strategic nuclear weapons. No need for many small or short-range weapons, with their logistical challenges and proliferation risks.
2
I have yet to hear an answer from anyone on the left explaining why the US should remain in a treaty that even the Obama admin agreed that the Russians are cheating on. It doesn't make any sense.
6
Because as an advanced nuclear weapons state, the USA has no need for intermediate range nuclear weapons. We’ve already said that if a state strikes us or our allies with any chemical, biological or nuclear weapon, then we will respond with our (long-range, high-yield, strategic) nuclear weapons.
However, it is in our interest to dissuade other nations from building small(er) nuclear weapons. We would have more moral authority to do so if we took the lead and stayed in treaties that prevent tactical and intermediate range nuclear weapons.
11
@James - You don't jump to war posture if you can bring the other side into line.
The stakes are planet crushing.
1
Because having nuclear weapons are immoral, as all the Christian-Right should know if Jesus really is the Prince of Peace. The more pressing question should be, why does anyone have nuclear weapons?
Statesmen status sadness in Today's government is appalling.
Trump is the tool of Putin, Pompeo is the tool of Trump.
VERS SAAAD INDEED
3
Another Trump gift to Russia. Now Russia will be free to build and deploy any weapon it wants. Will this treasonous behavior never end"
5
Duck and Cover,
Bucks and Shovers,
Stuck not Hover,
Muck all Mothers.
Great move for further reducing the nuclear Threat??
So America can actually increase its nuclear Bets,
More money for missiles for more enemies to Get.
There is NOTHING in this action except more Regret.
There is no good logical reasons that any can Get,
Whether the pros & cons anyone has Vet?
Who do we entrust to decide such things and Let?
A good arms control treaty suspended, have never Met.
Less seen these days can find the Peace Lover,
Just aggressive fools who want more fearful, to duck & Cover.
2
I really worry about the lunatic in the oval office having more nuclear weapons at his disposal. Congress should enact a bill that would require a vote in Congress to launch a nuclear weapon
5
Big time for the arms industry. Another election promise (though less public) becomes true.
Kick back dimes guaranteed - but Don calls his presidency a „loser job“ in terms of money. I would say it’s a loser job in any terms but not money.
3
ESCALATE! ESCALATE! ESCALATE!
What could go wrong? Other than the extinction of the entire planet? But, you know, we'll look really masculine and tough doing it!
2
Perhaps we can take sore comfort that when Pompeo, Bolton and others finally get their nuclear war and attendant "rapture", they will be the first to go.
2
Putin - I ordered you to take US troops out of Syria. What gives?
Trump - I’m trying, sir. But Congress is being difficult.
Putin - I don’t want excuses. If you can’t remove your troops, then call off our arms treaty. It’s better if it comes from you.
Trump - Right away, sir. How do you spell arms?
6
How does pulling the US out of this treaty hurt Russia? Does an arms race hurt Russia or destabilize the UN?
Makes the Trump/Russia thing look rather silly, yes?
3
@jaco
Trump has been a complete dove with Putin and Russia...and Putin has been emboldened as a result.
Conservatives never seem to want to know what is behind Putin's support of the GOP....it can't be for the benefit of Americans.
2
@jaco:
Just as it is supposed to. Russia wants out of this treaty as well. This is just for show. Guess it works on some.
2
Yes, it does, but don't expect the breathless Russophobes to understand that. As you can see by skimming these comments, they mostly imagine that this reckless move is somehow a gift to Putin.
On the other hand, we have those who have convinced themselves, or permitted themselves to be convinced by others, that destroying a nuclear arms treaty because it is less than perfect will somehow make us, and the world, a safer place -- because building more nukes is such a good safety measure.
What we seem to have here is a heaping helping of cluelessness being passed around. Sadly, there appears to be enough for almost everyone to share.
Best negotiator EVER~!!!
NOT!!!
This will end well.
Wonder if this is why the administration secretly transferred weapons grade plutonium to Nevada. Whilst in court negotiations with said state about not wanting said material dumped on them.
The gall for them to suddenly say SURPRISE! The point is moot now. Too bad, so sad.
SUCKERS!
Trump negotiations.
Best ever.
Not...
2
Vladimir Putin continues to manipulate his tiny minded little puppet and step-and-fetch-it errand boy, Donnie Trump.
Wake up Congress, this could get very nasty.
3
The problem is not Russia being "shameless". The problem is Pompeo and Trump being shameFUL! Why have a treaty if you're not prepared to enforce it with penalties? Man, what wimps America has become.
Trump's new variation on Truman's desk sign: The Wimp Stops Here.
Why are they allowing Putin to flagrantly violate this treaty? Why are we not organizing our allies to launch sanction...oh wait, "allies". Do we have any left now that Trump has alienated all of them?!
1
Well thanks a MILLION all you Trump voters for bringing REAL fear back into my life.
Feel like it’s 1975 again.
Do we start building bomb shelters in our backyards again and living like there’s no tomorrow?
THANKS A TON, REPUBLICANS!!!!!
3
Probably just what Trump’s boss, Putin, wanted all along.well, that’s what you get when a traitor is elected to office.
3
This is just further proof, as if any were needed, that Trump doesn't believe in treaties, because he doesn't believe in anything that binds him. His whole adult life he has routinely broken contracts of all kinds. They have no weight for him because contracts are built on promises, and promises bind. Only suckers, fools, bind themselves.
3
There are lots of reasons we so treasure our founding documents. One reason is that they were put together by people who knew what they were doing and were not acting as puppets to an endless stream of opinion polls, 'person-on-the-street' interviews, an army of lobbyists representing moneyed interests or hyper-engineering political strategy optimized to win the very next election. There are other amendments, laws and agreements since then that have earned a similar level of deference.
When we come across decisions made in this manner, we should hesitate to reverse them. The process of reversing them in the 2010s is likely tainted by some of the outside influences mentioned above. The public does not have sufficient trust in either Congress or the president to tear up agreements that were not only created in a better atmosphere, but that have stood the test of time. If there were an obvious emergency, there might be an exception - but this is far from certain, and simply does not apply here.
If one cannot think of something useful to accomplish, doing nothing is far better than trying to convince everyone that everything is deeply flawed and demands an dramatic intervention.
2
Congress could always issue a formal opposition to the repeal of this treaty, leaving it to the Supreme Court to rule.
3
Trump is just thinking of this as additional economic stimulus. A couple hundred billion dollars pumped into defense will give a small boost to GDP. It's good for Trump
1
@Martin exactly right, a couple hundred billion to the defense contractors and their ownership, and they toss Trump some payoff money.
2
Russia can now sell SA-21-Growler Missile Systems to Turkey without long-term ramifications. The Growler can take out F35s, and any country that can't afford the F35 will invest in it. Trump blocked the sale of F-35s to Turkey and now he is making it easier for Russia to sell Turkey the antidote. And Russia runs circles around the U.S when it comes to rocket engines (remember RD-180?). Trump's military policy seem to be strategically positioning Russia to be the next greatest weapons manufacturer in the world- and it is aimed at weakening NATO. We should all be worried.
1
My blood runs cold at the thought of Bolton, Pompeo, and Trump in charge of negotiating nuclear weapons treaties. I have to wonder, too, what countries would believe the U.S. would actually adhere to such a treaty after Trump has pulled us out of the TPP, NAFTA, the Paris Accords, and the Iran nuclear deal. Our credibility on the world stage is now non-existent. The only thing Trump and the Senate can be counted upon to do is fatten the pockets of the rich while stealing from the poor. It's the only thing at which they've had any success.
9
Nancy Pelosi issued a statement saying that Russia is in brazen non-compliance with this treaty, but she also called the treaty a cornerstone of nuclear security, and rejected abandoning the treaty.
Can somebody explain how a treaty that is breached in a “brazen” way by an agressive and determined Russia is still important for US nuclear security, and why we should respect it while Russia doesn’t ?
2
Simple - two wrongs don’t make a right.
4
Apparently my question was too complicated for some. If Russia does not respect the treaty, the treaty simply doesn’t exist anymore, or rather it exists to tie the hands of the US.
1
Gimme A Break, pulling out of the treaty gives Russia carte blanche to do what they want in reference to advancing their nuke program. Certainly, an arms race doesn’t scare Putin. What Putin doesn’t like is sanctions. But we seem to be unable to stick to those...
1
With Trump being the most incompetent, untrustworthy and thick-headed President in our modern history, I am not sure if this is his idea or if Mike Pompeo or Vladimir Putin is pulling the strings. Is this what Trump and Putin discussed in their private meetings of which only the translator and maybe Mrs. Trump have knowledge?
Just as President George W. Bush had Cheney & Co. whispering instructions in his ear, who is whispering in President Donald J. Trump's ear? And will this open the door for Russia to compromise, intimidate and move on our former allies in Western Europe? This does seem to be a component in a long string of decisions to weaken ourselves and our allies -- pulling out of the Paris Accord, the Iran Nuclear Deal and the TPP, distancing ourselves from our long-term allies and attacking NATO...
If we had a Commander In Chief and advisers that were honorable, responsible and trustworthy I might not be feeling the little hairs on the back of my neck standing up at this news...
5
Mobster Trump and vigilantes Pompeo and Bolton are dangerous to children and other living things.
Trump wants to use that button. Now he has "miniature" nukes to play with.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jan/28/us-nuclear-weapons-first-low-yield-warheads-roll-off-the-production-line
Dangerous and stupid! Dangerous and stupid!! Dangerous and stupid!!!
OK, now I want Trump impeached. Even Pence would be better. Self control is needed here, and Trump only has ego and a desire to be worshipped.
12
Ok, so the US is planning to place more nukes in Europe?
At this point Europeans have to stand up against this decision that endangers their security by threating sanctions against the US and establishing closer economic ties with Russia and China.
Leaving Nato should also be an option..
5
@heinrich zwahlen
Well NATO is supporting the US in withdrawing from the INF treaty.
2
The 1987 Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty was concluded back when missiles were made out of wood. Might as well have a treaty to limit the proliferation of flintlocks.
Cyberwarfare is a much larger threat. Reference: Russia launched a cyberwar against the US that greatly impacted and likely swung the outcome of the 2016 election, which the US has thus far left unanswered. This form of warfare is far cheaper (no military hardware, no vast army), and does not cause any physical damage to country you are attempting to manipulate and control. In the current scenario, individual-1 is just another one of Putin's assets.
5
Imagine a nuclear world war. However flawed or outdated the nuclear treaty may be, that is what it has prevented. Until now.
Perhaps Trump famous book should be renamed "Kill the Deal." From NAFTA, to TPP, the Iran nuclear treaty, as well as efforts to kill other deals, such as NATO and Obamacare. But exiting this nuclear treaty could affect all life on Earth.
If we are fortunate enough to have a new president in January, 2021, s/he will have one heck of a mess to clean up. Our allies will no longer trust us, our enemies will feel emboldened, and countries may no longer look to us,for leadership. And then there will be the discarded treaties, which may be difficult or impossible to reinstate.
To accomplish all that is needed to restore old alliances plus protect our environment. grow our middle class, shrink our deficit, and curb our carbon footprint, the next president needs to plan policy now, not just campaign.
7
The Chinese have been building weapons, to which the US may not respond in kind because of the INF Treaty.
Meanwhile, Russia has been violating terms of the Treaty, and the US is therefore justified to threaten stepping away from the Treaty, if Russia does not return to compliance.
But what will the US be able to do about China, if Russia returns to compliance?
4
A primer on how to make the world a more dangerous place. The Trump administration is great at one thing - ripping up treaties and ratcheting up tensions with allies and foes alike. They are not good at building anything enduring, whether it comes to the national defense, immigration, trade or the environment. This goes for Pompeo, Lighthizer, Ross, Kudlow and most of all Trump.
10
A treaty should be made or broken with the advice and consent of the Senate, particularly when we are governed by a rogue President. I don't care how things have been done in the past, the Constitution provides that President's make treaties ony with the advice and consent of the Senate.
4
Consider this.
A high school student is caught bringing a gun to school. In response the school principal says to the student, if you do it another time, I will allow all other students to bring guns to school.
This kind of (lack of) logic takes place every minute in between Mr. Trump’s ears. But this time we are watching the prospect of most dreadful consequences unfolding in front of our eyes – a prospect of nuclear conflict starting by a decision of a man who provides us daily with hard evidence of incompetence – a democratically (?!) elected president of the United States of America.
But I also think that president Trump is not the only culprit in what essentially amounts to an existential thread to peace on Earth.
Germany and substantial part of the EU have been feeding Putin – the dictator - with $billions in payments for its purchases of natural gas from Russia and is in the process of building the second pipeline to double the gas import capacity.
China’s Xi communist government is using its trade surplus with the West to build up its military capacity and threatening us, essentially, for our own money.
Still, I think that deMuellrizing Mr. Trump is the best place to start a process of return to sanity and preventing what otherwise may slowly become a series of unfortunate NUCLEAR events.
2
This administration is confrontational and disdainful of nuclear control treaties. They underestimate the importance of diplomacy and negotiating disputes.
Their policy is frankly dangerous and raises the risk of a nuclear arms race and even the crazy notion of using these lethal weapons. They are truly against the notion of America leading the world with allies and with respect and collegiality.
4
Better to keep the treaty and impose sanctions on Russia for violations than to just end it. The uncertainty which preceded the enacting of the treaty, precipitated paranoid fears of impeding attack by missiles in Europe only five minutes flight time from Moscow. Russia maybe cheating but they are not thinking that the U.S. may attack at any moment as they did when Reagan first took office.
2
Trump was adamant about renegotiating NAFTA, why don't they renegotiate the Nuclear Arms treaty? Probably something to placate Putin.
I do not understand this article. It points out in the beginning that we need missile freedom to counter China in the Pacific and then ignores that problem in the rest of the article. Perhaps, if this is the case we should try to sit down with the Russians and the Chinese and work out a new treaty. Of course with John Bolton as NSA that is probably impossible.
2
A novel idea. Let's just abolish all laws that people are violating. That will show them.
3
TRUMP's pulling out of Intermediate Nuclear Force agreement aligns w. Putin's positioning Russian battlefield nukes to overcome NATO.
4
just one more treaty IT had chosen to tear up. IT needs to mark his turf,stand firm, undo all the right that was working. A new arms race with Russia, an economic war with China, Maduro and the thought of military intervention there. What is the end game? Take your time Mueller. I got all day
1
Two years into a Trump Administration and the most important question we now ask is whether our planet will soon be destroyed by climate change or nuclear war? Would we be at this point today if Hillary Clinton had been elected?
5
Rebecca Solnit: "What we are observing is not most accurately described as the subversion of American democracy by a hostile power. Instead, it is an attempt at state capture by an international crime syndicate. What unites Yanukovych, Veselnitskaya, Manafort, Stone, Wikileaks’s Julian Assange, the Russian troll factory, the Trump campaign staffer George Papadopoulos and his partners in crime, the “Professor” (whose academic credentials are in doubt), and the “Female Russian National” (who appears to have fraudulently presented herself as Putin’s niece) is that they are all crooks and frauds. This is not a moral assessment, or an attempt to downplay their importance. It is an attempt to stop talking in terms of states and geopolitics and begin looking at Mafias and profits.... The story is not that Putin is masterminding a vast and brilliant attack on Western democracy. The story, it appears, is that the Russian Mafia state is cultivating profit-yielding relationships with the aspiring Mafia boss of the U.S. and his band of crooks, subverting democratic institutions in the process."
5
Reduced to a semi-permanent state of glibness, I am thinking now that (nuclear) objects are closer than they appear.
We'll be spending more time than ever before looking over our geopolitical shoulder. Disgraceful!
1
So, I've read/scanned most of the comments here. I don't recall one that says that this is a distraction to dominate the weekend news cycle and take our minds off of . Feel free to add anything I may overlooked. Happy Ground Hog Day.
1
Note to self: don't use angle brackets: the text gets deleted. The words after "of" were: Mueller, climate change, the wall, Maduro,abortion rights, the job numbers, the polar vortex, or whatever floats your boat. Fill in the blank.
1
WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY does Trump think that tearing up an agreement is some sort of victory?????
It’s NOT!!!
4
Trump and Pence should be removed, along with their warmonger buddies, especially Bolton and Pompeo.
The military-industrial complex is behind all of this.
The U.S. and Russia have violated all nuclear arms treaties.
A new arms race benefits only the arms industry, and puts the world in danger of being totally destroyed.
The really scary thing is that Trump as president has virtually unstoppable power to launch a pre-emptive nuclear attack.
Our constitution was hacked in favor of the executive when Truman was the sole leader in the world who had a nuclear arsenal at his disposal, and the president was given nuclear war-making power that the legislative/judicial branch can't do anything about.
But Truman was an intelligent, principled, rational, ethical man.
Trump is a desperate criminal who has no ethics and is impulsive and utterly devoid of conscience.
The fact that he can start a nuclear war should terrify everyone.
1
“Russia has jeopardized the United States’ security interests,” Mr. Pompeo said, “and we can no longer be restricted by the treaty while Russia shamelessly violates it.”
Who is shamelessly dreaming of being the toughest most powerful person in the world? Hint. He has small hands.
trump's 2016 campaign illuminated trump’s truth when he asked a foreign policy advisor what was the use of having nuclear weapons if you didn’t use them – as if a nuclear bomb was nothing more than a ‘regular’ bomb.
Yet, on the campaign trail, trump said the “biggest problem, to me, in the world, is nuclear, and proliferation.” Trump said using nuclear weapons would be an “absolute last step.” “I will be the last to use nuclear weapons. It's a horror to use nuclear weapons.” as if he is empathetic toward victims.
In Feb ('18) trump said, "“We’re going to have the strongest military we’ve ever had by far,” trump said he would increase the country's arsenals of “virtually every weapon,” including a “brand new nuclear force” (The Independent).
All during Oct. 2018, trump talked about “outspending Russia” in the US nuclear build-up citing China and Russia as bad actors. The US is the bad actor.
The purpose of pulling out of the treaty is so nations cannot hold the US accountable to the other treaty participants.
In other words, the US is no longer a champion of peace. Instead, it’s becoming a champion of bullies with a nuclear backstop. One more Shield of Leadership, dashed against the rocks.
2
Unwise in every way possible. Withdrawl, takes away any chance of a nuanced approach to Russia or to China. Instead we resort to a "my way or else" approach to negotiation. The Russians have always played chess with their foreign policy, while this president thinks he's playing Texas Holdem. Alas he's all bluff with no hole cards, and nothing on the table that scares Vlad or Xi. Pompeo should know better than to be a mere "yes man" to a buffoon.
1
Again, a provocative, knee jerk reaction with no semblance of a plan, much less a strategy. I don’t think the average American has a clue how much long term damage is being done to this country by this group of clowns.
2
The Trump administration said.... We do not know if it is true. The US is investing billions to modernize the nuclear arsenal going back to Obama, at the same time they break agreements and organize the regime change and enforce sanctions to bring down every government they don't like, Only right-wing fascistic and capitalistic dictators are allowed in the club. Elected governments even mildly socialistic must go.
Of course, Kim of N. Korea and Putin rely on nuclear deterrent against nuclear powers too.
The Europeans have not been asked if they want more nuclear missiles in Europe, the people don't trust the US, to end Nato and have military agreements with Russia and China is getting very appealing. The people are getting convinced that the US will turn on them, they are being treated like they are vassals.
Trump has started the trade war making the EU, China, and the USA and Russia competitors, all about energy, oil, and gas, that makes the oil in Venezuela so much more important
The USA is more likely to face war at home this time too, nuclear weapons leave dust and radiation behind, multiply the WTC s many times to imagine what NYC would look like, maybe cockroaches can survive it.
2
People need to stop kidding themselves right now. The only reason we're doing this is because Putin wants us to and trump is being blackmailed.
Sleep well kids.
2
Mother America is not and will never be threatened by medium range and mobile nuclear tipped missiles.
Ah....but Europe will be vulnerable to them.
Once again Dear Leader Donnie assists President Putin advance his geo-political agenda.
Sleep tight Estonia.
3
What now?? How does this keep the US and the world safer??
1
The United States is looking into the abyss.
1
I don't have a strong opinion on the suspension itself, however, always with Trump it is important to note whether he is the one in front of the camera or whether he has delegated the role. In this case, he had the opportunity to publicly announce a strong action against Russia and passed. It's very unlikely he would have passed up such an opportunity if it were any other country. For the same reason, I doubt he will approve US military action in Venezuela, Bolton's notepad ploy notwithstanding. The Kremlin has told him it would be unacceptable and have consequences. If it were anyone other than Russia, he wouldn't care. As always, with Russia it's different.
3
The Congress should stop Trump for messing in international treaties, these are serious matters !
9
Again and again, nothing this pathetic administration does is not pre-approved by Putin. I'm sure, having the good idea how KGB operates, it was Putin's ploy, so trump can say, see I'm not beholden by Russia, I can go against Putin...
Just muddling the waters to disorient some gullible americans before 20/20 election, comrade Putin is playing the long game as usually.
It's obvious his next round of the same game, don't fall for it!
7
Crumbling infrastructure, public education hovering just above third world status in many places, Social Security and Medicare "will bankrupt us", exploding deficit, more and more radical weather causing more and more damage, sooooo....
Let's have an arms race!
Democrats! Jump on this! This is several orders of magnitude more stupid than the stupid border wall. The next war won't be fought with missiles, it will be fought with software.
The Soviet Union fell apart partly because it invested almost everything in the military.
16
Reality check what people fail to understand about nuke power. Weapons of 70 years ago are far lest dangerous then todays nukes are capable of destroying today. Means one nuke today is probley hundred times more destructive then ones used in world war two. Only matter of time till some crazy fool uses nukes to destroy world out envy . USA might better build bomb shelters because end is coming for world as we know it.
4
Guess the bed-sharing with NK has been formalized.
6
Well, at least we know now some of what Trump heard from Putin in those secret meetings.
4
...and this is where Trump's self-obsessed ego and narcissistic personality becomes truly dangerous to world peace. He's a bull who has specifically walked into a china shop to do as much damage as possible, so that his fans will see him a strong and disruptive. May whatever gods there are have mercy on us before he pushes us all past the brink.
8
I gotta ask being a curious fellow. Bearing in mind that it was the Obama administration and not Trump. And Nato allies agree that there is no doubt that Russia is and has been in violation of the treaty for not months but many years. An indication I would say they have no interest in keeping the Treaty. And for those accusing Trump (who I didn't for) of doing it for Putin. Putin could withdraw from the treaty anytime he wanted to. Now my question, What exactly is the point of staying in a treaty the Russians are using for eye catching toilet paper? A treaty that only one side ia abiding is a joke not a treaty.
2
@Stephan
Well it keeps us from building anything. That's the goal of the 'experts' who complain about leaving it.
Pieces of paper are very important to them even if they don't mean a thing.
Please NYT...someone on staff do a careful report on how this Admin is pushing us to another war. Or wars. All these little maneuvers, these transgressions that put us at odds,and greater risk of an altercation. That these war-mongers (Pompeo and Bolton, etc) will push Trump, who is already 3/4 of the ways there, over the edge.
They are just looking for a way into a false-flag incident.
The way Trump dismissed, then outright lied about the positions of the Intelligence heads this week, is but one more obvious sign, that he and his Admin is purposely on a path to initiating their own military ventures.
Scary times ahead. Add Mueller, the Dem House, the humanitarian crisis they created on the Southern border, a potential Emergency crisis declared, and the fallout from that, what looks to be a brutal winter with unforeseen consequences, continued attacks by ISIS and others overseas, Russian and Chinese aggression's, trade issues...
All mixing and percolating...creating volatile conditions, toxins everywhere, all highly combustible - much of which is the direct results of Trumps inept governing...
With an Admin woefully lacking in creative minds, and therefore solutions, its a fair bet they will resort to the brutish, most easiest ones...
11
Sure Russia has violated the treaty; so has the US. But the existence of the treaty has forced each country to exercise judgment in such violations, each recognizing that too flagrant a violation will invite reciprocity.
The treaty has kept us out of a full-blown arms race, freeing assets for other uses. And it has moved us away from a nuclear hair trigger stance. It should not be abandoned without careful analysis. I'm sorry, but I don't think our president is capable of such analysis.
Putin is an autocrat and a criminal. Trump is an autocrat and an idiot; he aspires to be a criminal but lacks the intellectual horsepower. These are not the people I want deciding our future.
21
DANGER! DANGER! We are sitting back and watching the entire Trump administration committing TREASON with every affirmative action favoring Putin and Russia.
Each step makes the US an isolated island in global politics that makes us dependent on old enemies and makes new enemies of our longstanding allies. We are out of our depth, in a boat without paddles with no chart to guide us and a captain that lost his mind long before given the title.
9
The idea that the Trump Administration makes “decisions” is patently false. A decision is reached by judgment based upon consideration of facts and alternatives.
When has this happened? Never?
11
We already have corporate deregulation, and environmental deregulation, and now nuclear arms deregulation.
10
Because Trump hadn't done enough damage to our safety & standing on the international stage?? Dear God. Get these grifters out of office!
10
The current administration is dumb to pull out of a treaty with Russia that Russia itself is not complying with and will not comply with? So, the reaction of most liberals is to essentially side with Russia. That is, Trump is dumb to do this because and should not do it . . . because Russia is a model of treaty compliance and all other good things . . . . Ok. Got it. Of course, this newly-found belief by most liberals also runs counter to their collective belief (yesterday) that Russia "hacked" the 2016 election (whatever that means) and is doing everything it can--now and always--to disrupt anything and everything, everywhere . . . . Right palm to forehead . . . .
2
I came across an apt quote from Stanley Kubrick ( but of course without a time or setting):
"The great nations have always acted like gangsters, and the small nations like prostitutes."
We've had some leaders who tried to shed the gangster mode of operations, and I think that in post WWII leaders, experiencing that war kept relations between the US and USSR icy cold, but mitigated the risks. Now we have leaders for whom war is something that is conducted at a far distance, to other people, at no personal risk.
That scares me.
4
Russia couldn't afford the prior arms race, and they cannot afford a new one. China, on the other hand, is a strong economy with strong technology.
It is wise to ensure Russia (which isn't the USSR) and China be included in a new nuclear deal.
It seems unlikely a new arms race will result, as if spending $700 billion per year today isn't an arms race.
@David
The INF treaty was between the US and Russian. China, and any other country, wasn't limited by it at all.
1
Suspension of the arms control treaty is not a flaw in Trump diplomacy, this is clearly by design: a new missile competition equals billions of dollars in new missile sales.
The chief characteristic of a con man who has gone bankrupt many times, but manages to survive, is his ability to find new pots of money. Before his presidency, financial survival meant that Trump would get more money from his father or from Russian oligarchs, run innocent contractors out of business by refusing to pay his bills, or defraud students of their tuition money. Now, as president, Trump seizing this pot of gold - or uranium - makes it a far more dangerous world.
19
One man, one vote or electoral college and we chose the later to elect this con man and now we are living in the alternative world of Trump. Shame on us for holding on to this flawed system, a failure in the world's eyes. We got to live with it twice in our lifetimes; wonder how many our kids and grandchildren will have to.
7
And it is to be replaced with what exactly? Like everything else, this know everything about every subject president will come up with the true and tested response.'we'll just have to wait and see.'
5
This move to withdraw the U. S. from the nuclear missile treaty with Russia actually benefits Russia. Russia is now free to deploy as many medium range nuclear missiles aimed at Europe as it likes.
14
This reboot of the nuclear arms race, with even more players than previously, is very bad news for the entire world. It is still the case that any use of the nuclear weapons would escalate to unimaginable destruction, and having more of them increases the risk.
340
@Erkki Ruohtula Perhaps Putin & Trump are Gaia's means to eliminate humans. A species that by and large doesn't care about it's own mother.
20
@Erkki Ruohtula
Add the irresponsible head of state this nation has and all the irresponsible neo-cons around him and we have a very dangerous situation.
Kim in N. Korea and Putin would be fools to trust the US. The oligarchs and plutocrats would be losers too this time around.
14
@R. Littlejohn:Exactly why would anybody trust the US when Iran followed the nuclear pact precisely and now is sanctioned harder than ever?. Each US administration can ignore these treaties seemingly at will so what good are they. The five other nations involved in the Iran Nuclear pact all say Iran is following it but the US just ignores them and even more threatens them with sanctions if they don't obey the US.
33
Let me try to undestand this move by the Trump regime. Instead of pressing on Russia, it walks away from the only treaty that can hold Russia under control to large extent. Now Putin has a gree light to expand his nuclear arms and he can alway blame US for suspending the treaty. Wow, I am getting more interested in the tape that Putin has on Trump.
10
People, do not ever forget that we are still only 30 minutes away from nuclear annihilation - despite everything that has transpired since the "end" of the Soviet Union. Does anyone believe we are a wit safer?
Remember also who occupies the Oval Office (as if we can forget)
Despite their flaws, the fact that all the Arms Control agreements seem to be dropping like flies is incredibly worrisome.
We may not have to worry about the consequences of Climate Change if this keeps up.
5
Like many of you, I had been wondering about Putin's next move, now that he has Trump in the palm of his hand. I have a terrible feeling that we are about to find out.
8
This nuclear proliferation, which permits countries to threaten one another, and strut, is also deadly serious.
While I can see Trump's logic for wanting to get out of the deal with Russia, in order to threaten China, at the core, there is no logic to nuclear proliferation unless global contamination and radiation death is the goal.
Countries are developing weapons that will not just kill perceived enemies, but their own populations as well.
It's true that Russia is a grave threat to Europe. With a cool head and a cold heart, Putin wants to take back every former Soviet country, and then some.
Russia hasn't honored the non-proliferation agreement, true. But America backing out of yet another accord, at Europe's peril, defies the U.S. long-term alliance with the EU and leaves doubt as to American NATO commitment.
One doesn't throw allies under the bus, or under the missiles. Trump earns another zero, in his long stream of them, for American credibility and reliability.
As for China, what is Trump's plan? Bomb China with long-range missiles? North Korea and Russia will surely help China in this fight.
There would be no winners in a Northern hemisphere blown to bits, and who knows who would win. China and Russia could. Any scenario one looks at, one sees misery.
We should stay in the accord, let Russia be the bad guys, and defend our NATO partners if necessary.
If China joins the fray, we are not constrained by any accord with them.
4
Trump is doing an admirable job of exposing the defects in our system of government so that repair can occur in the future.
So he is a blessing in disguise...sort of.
2
Yes, Mr. Pompeo, countries indeed must be held accountable if they break the rules. And true, Putin's aim is to dominate the world in the most egregious and inhumane ways. It is all about power, is it not? But in this case, when one thinks of our present US-Russian relations, Trump is merely feigning defense of our national security. This present suspension is but a ruse for America to regain its position as a prominent and fearful nuclear power. How many rules has this fraudulent president broken both here and abroad? How many supporters, including congressional republicans, have not held their president accountable for his heinous actions? A true leader would put all his/her might into strengthening NATO. If allowed, NATO has the power to stand up to Putin and once and for all wipe his dirty floor with himself.
4
It is difficult to figure out what to do about (and how to do it) a 30-year-old treaty negotiated between the US and the (no longer existing) Soviet Union and when China was not a strategic concern. What is clear is to muster the required national and international players needed to resolve the present situation to a peaceful conclusion a DJT administration prone to the chaos of mixed messages, prevarication and disassembly is not the most well-positioned or prepared.
2
Whose idea was this - Ann Coulter's, Rush Limbaugh's, Sean Hannity, Rudy Giuliani's, or Donald, Jr.'s? Forgive me for wondering just who is speaking for me (and the rest of this country) today. I don't recall actually voting for any of them, but that doesn't seem to matter anymore...
12
1. Putin can now enhance and expand his nuclear weapons capability with impunity and export nukes and nuclear tech to bad actors around the globe;
2. Trump can make donors in the military-industrial complex happy by tossing contracts their way at the taxpayers' expense; and
3. both of them can feign antagonism in an attempt to obscure the obvious fact of Trump's subservience to Putin, on whose orders this insane policy was probably undertaken.
This is like watching a crime unfold on surveillance cameras -- only nobody is responding to stop the crime.
6
Clearly cynical but this may be a needed excuse for both the powers that be in the US and Russia to rebuild their weapons stockpiles in order to thwart the threat posed by the leaders of the mysterious East.
This will further enrich the supply chain which hires people of all skills and keeps them happy. A win win for both our brands of capitalismt exploitation.
A war involving any nuclear weapons of any size will destroy the world and even the madmen now running the show know it.
Men and power, a combustible mix.
3
Putin, Iran, N. Korea and China all need to be taught lessons - but the current Administration is all reaction and withdrawal from treaties and alliances, with no credible alternatives and strategies other than "we'll see."
How many future administrations will be picking up there pieces from this so-far disastrous accident of a Presidency?
3
Dang it! I should have bought some shares in Raytheon! Happy days for missile manufacturers.
6
My only question about this idiocy is what’s driving it. Is it that:
A) Trump’s driving it, without having a clue as to what’s going in, reacting entirely to a dippy speech with cartoons that Putin gave to bait him, and vaguely thinking that it’ll help him “prove,” there was “no collusion.”
Or is it:
B) Pompeo, Bolton et al are just cruising right ahead, without bothering Trump’s pretty little head with the details.
4
The Christian Fundamentalists who adore Trump and believe Trump was sent by their god must be thrilled with these new prospects of nuclear Armageddon.
11
The super-rich owners of the Republican Party wanted the ignorant incompetent Trump to be in the White House to slash their taxes and deconstruct our government. Nuclear Armageddon also seems to be on the list of Trump objectives.
7
Back to the arms race? No wonder all the bigwigs are trying to get to a Mars settlement. Nobody's going to love those air raid drills.
4
Trump administration frolicking with Putin is in fact creating unspeakable troubles down the road.
I wonder after Trump presidency Any American administration can go UN and Nuclear arm control effectively while we are giving a free check to Putin Built next level Nuclear arsenal.
What we are going to say to Pakistan or North Korea? Ohh Russia is rich , big guy we let him di , but you can't ….That is our position now.
What is the deterrent for future wanna be Nuclear nation?
We lost irreparable credibility here...…
This set back us to 1950's
3
Hey trump, where are your deal making skills?
2
It appears to me that Mr. Pompeo is a stooge for trump or he is really stupid. To break down our relationships with our allies and now to pull us out of the nuclear arms treaty is bordering on traitorous. Putin knows exactly what he is doing, with total control over Europe and the US as his goal. Terrible, terrible that the man in my house, the White House hasn't a clue and his toadies just make it worse.
4
Hear that sound ??? That's Saint Reagan, rolling over in his grave.
SAD.
4
And Trump went behind congress's back and removed the sanctions against Russian companies and Oligarchs....with ties to the NRA and Trump's campaign and misinformation program against Democrats.
Now the dotard basically makes Russia compliant and kills all the leverage we had with NATO countries to put more sanctions on Russia for not complying with the NNPT.
Did Trump read the treaty? He can't even spell it.
Hey McConell.....just keep sitting there you complete derelict.
5
More important-sounding fluff intended to elbow Trump's lies, mistakes and misdeeds off the front page.
Why is it working? Come on, NYT.
2
Somebody please explain to me how this decision was made and who exactly is involved in the decision? Jeopardized the United States security interests? This , from the same administration that sees no point in NATO? What good is breaking a treaty? Without it there are NO restraints for Russia.
I have been reading lately about the nuclear weapons testing in the Pacific in the 40's. The decisions at that time were made by high ranking military with no understanding of the science, for political purposes. They sent sailors in pants and t shirts to wash down the test ships afterwards with water soap and brushes. Now every organic tissue on the planet can be dated by it's chronological relation to those tests.
My point being, these decisions should not be in the hands of Trump, or Pompeo. WHO is making these decisions which open up the plant to MORE nuclear disaster?
5
More money down the tubes for a new arms race. Money that could be used for such minor conveniences as infrastructure upgrades, health care, etc.
4
In the Tragedy of the Commons, Mr. Hardin argues at the beginning of his essay that reasonable and rational people will always want one more cow. The owner gains almost all the benefits, while the society at large splits the costs of the use of the owner's use of the commons. How to temper that desire is a large portion of the essay's premise.
Would that I lived in a world where supposedly "rational and reasonable people" did not want one more nuclear weapon. How can we temper the use of such destruction? Logic and reason certainly dictate that such weapons never be used [again]… but still we march forward, constantly ensuring we can mutually destroy ourselves a million times over.
2
Mr. Trump has claimed that he trusts Putin. If that is the case, why is the US abandoning the Nuclear Arms Control Treaty? If Russia has not been abiding by the Treaty, is it not something that could have been resolved between the two leaders? Even if there are flaws in the Treaty, were there any steps taken to correct or improve on them? Just to suspend the Treaty, may not help either side, or achieve the purpose of the Treaty.
With no Treaty, will this make Russia to be understanding and not resort to developing nuclear arms in the future? That is doubtful. With Russia's aggression in Ukraine and making inroads in the Middle East, Russia's motives can only be suspicious.
China has already established their foothold in the South China Sea, creating their military bases on the islands China has claimed to be theirs. Although China does not admit, the bases are a disguise for their missile launching pads in the future.
There is still no evidence whether North Korea has serious plans to denuclearize. With continuing US dialog with the NK regime, it is unclear what NK's motives are. NK is much closer to China, than to listen to the US. NK via China can also be closer to Russia. What is not seen here is any involvement of our traditional allies. They are not in the picture. Whether it is in Europe or Asia, it is important for the US to work with our allies.
Because, Russia and China will always be on one side, with a secretive game plan to isolate the US and our allies.
1
As I'm reading through the lines of this article I cannot but think that people in high power are playing with the lives of millions of people should a new war break out. Here in the US we are told it's the Russians and the the Chinese who are not complying with treaties and all, and more than likely Asia and Europe are being told that the US is the culprit that started all this mess. And so the story keeps getting more convoluted as time passes.
In the end let's not forget that the most affected will be all innocent civilians who are at the mercy and disposal of those high in power. GOD HELP US ALL.
4
While my thoughts may seem in tune with weird conspiracy theories, I feel that causing a distracted churn within our country, causing a loss of morale amongst federal workers, disparaging the intelligence community, provoking Maduro and Russia in return, focusing attention on a wall of no significance and now provoking Russia in a more direct manner....does it not seem as if someone is trying to make it seem that the Russians need to make war with us? And before they do, are effectively destablizing and distracting American citizens? Who wants to begin a third world war and why? This is extremely frightening.
6
It seems as though US - Russian relations under the Trump Administration has taken on two competing narratives. On the one hand, President Trump has publicly maligned the results of Russian interference in the 2016 Presidential election, something that has inevitably portrayed at the very least his ease to which he is willing to credit the Russians. On the other hand, we see diplomatic set-backs like these that cut in the opposite direction. Personally, I think it’s extremely dangerous that we have a (at the very least) Putin-sympathetic President sitting the White House. With Russian development of hyper-sonic missile delivery systems, and the heated up rhetoric — the security dilemma between the US and Russia will just continue to get worse while our president counter-intuitively undermines the sanctity of American security.
1
You may not like the Russians. They may not like us. But this is tomfoolery of the highest order. We have thousands of nuclear weapons. No more than a handful could ever be used without attacking ourselves with the resulting fallout. That's even assuming the other side doesn't manage to launch anything in the face of a US first strike.
Both sides know this as it was well-established by the global spread of fallout from atmospheric testing before the practice was abruptly halted with the 1963 Limited Test Ban Treaty.
Like Trump's idea of a wall on the Mexican border, the idea that we're more secure with more nuclear weapons is largely based on national security anxieties and delusions repackaged as campaign promises that Trump wants to claim a success over.
But wait...there's more. Trump now seems to want to use this sort of saber-rattling as proof there's "no collusion." The world shouldn't die for one man's ego, but it might.
Nuclear weapons are a threat to national security, not a guarantor of it. Increasingly, so is our president.
5
For Russia to deploy the new missile makes little sense. I have not seen an article that describes how many missiles have been deployed or if it guaranteed they are nuclear tipped—such is usually classified, but Trump might let it slip soon. But building, maintaining and deploying nukes is expensive. It really has no value unless Russia expects an attack. Who wants to attack Russia? No one. Any “shooting” war involving nukes would collapse civilization anyhow.
There has to be more behind the curtain. One thing for sure, the US will spend billions on another weapon system adding to the debt and increasing the political trench wars. I do think Putin would like to bankrupt the US by feigning aggressiveness. It is working...
3
A big part of the treaty was the ability of both sides to have some idea of where and how many weapons were out there through things like on-site verification. This is very helpful if you don't want the other side to sell those weapons, as well as giving us warning if one was stolen. Even if the other side was cheating, we could at least have some idea of what was going on. Now, we don't, and we have no legal method of showing up to find out what's going on.
If you weren't feeling a bit worried about nuclear terrorism before, now is a good time to start.
3
Since no country other than the US actually adheres to the treaty what is the difference? I would love to see multi-lateral arms control among the US, Russia, and China, but that is not what we have had for years.
3
@Thomas Smith
Please stop making sense! It irritates those that think pieces of paper actually mean something.
If the pact was not really followed, then leaving it is really just semantics no?
1
The unilateral decisions that this guy has made, many of which I guess are constitutional, makes it clear that the idea of checks and balances in our federal government is a facade.
3
What perfect timing this is for Mr. Trump to reverse course from his previous campaign cry to his diminishing base to "get along with Russia!" It seems he has to backtrack on their possible friendship to prove how tough he now is on Putin proving "no collusion" as Mueller closes in on him. It will be interesting to see how Putin reacts to his wayward puppet's latest pronouncement.
@HP Backtracking?? How is abandoning an arms treaty anything less than a major concession to Putin, ranking right up there with Trump’s assaults on NATO?
Perhaps the Russians will reciprocate with a new monument in Red Square called Trump Tower.
2
Just waiting for Mitch McConnell to come out and brief reporters that "this is in the national interest and security of the American people..." and he's in full support of the President, (and Trump).
1
Trump doesn't like treaties or agreements made by others. NAFTA, Global warming agreements, Iran nuclear agreement, Now this. What goes on the chopping block next? NATO? The Geneva Convention? UN?
1
This is the "Great Dealmaker " ? All he ever seems to be able to do is cancel or pull out or destroy something already existing. Not that I'd approve of anything constructive he'd do, but what has he actually made into a deal? It doesn't take too much skill to tear things down.
2
"“The issue now is whether the administration has a plan for what comes next,” said Pranay Vaddi, a fellow in the nuclear policy program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace . . . ." What Pollyannaism is this!! Of course, "the administration," has no plan for what comes next!
The United States is rapidly being reduced to its nuclear weapons and that is not a good thing. Four decades ago, nuclear weapons were the WEAKEST part of America's defense; the idea of US was far stronger. Not any longer. Now, we are a force for instability in the world. We have become the Wicked Democracy of the West.
2
Trump, Pompeo, Bolton and diplomacy.
Guess which thing is not like the others?
1
this is putin's instructions. it makes trump look tough to his supporters, while in reality gives Russia the freedom to terrorize europe.
3
Thomas Stearns Eliot got it wrong :
This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
Not with a whimper but a bang.
Henri
3
Hard to know if Trump is simply being manipulated by Putin’s government or if Putin & Trump are working together to attempt to destabalize the US. I worry it’s the latter, although with Trump’s personality Putin has the perfect foil.
2
Enrico Fermi, (Father of the atomic bomb, paraphrased) "Anything that has a statistical probability of occurring, no matter how small, will eventually occur. " So glad the braggers that swagger are setting us up for a slight statistical increase in nuclear war. Thanks. I'm sure it will be very profitable-- in the short term, of course.
2
I find it extremely troubling that the pro-Kremlin decision to pull out of INF treaty was made barely a week after A. Wess Mitchell, Russia-hark Assistant Secretary of State, resigned.
https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/01/22/trump-administrations-top-europe-diplomat-resigns-a-wess-mitchell-assistant-secretary-of-state-eurasia-europe-russia-nato-trump-diplomacy-state-department-european-union/
Plus, the decision removes an impediment for Russia and China to oursue a bilateral nuclear arms strategy of theor own.
Trump poses so many existential threats to U.S. national security, every day a new one!
3
Big surprise. The party that supposedly adores Reagan never did like his anti-nuke stance, and are using this opportunity to get the arms race all heated up again. Actually the ramp-up started with the GOP Congress and the tacit approval of the Obama administration. Sad.
2
It should be very clear to everyone with an elementary school education that the Trump administration is controlled by Putin.
Why lift sanctions against Russia with one hand, and then "punish" the country by abandoning non-proliferation treaties with the other? Because a new arms race greatly benefits Putin and the American military industrial complex.
Nuclear annihilation is in the tiny hands of a compromised, facile lunatic, and the "adults" in the room are once again refusing to act. They should all rot in prison for the rest of their lives.
3
Another gift to Vlad. And, another instance where Trump's treasonous Republican enablers remain silent.
On a related note, it's interesting to see how the numerous pro-Trump trolls commenting here have such better grammar than they used to. Perhaps the Republicans are hiring/paying them now, so Putin doesn't have to.
3
we might as well just tell our kids they have no future at this point.
2
Finally, Trump has cleared the way for buddy Putin to get on with his nuclear plans. What are friends for?
1
In a bold move, Pompeo acts to out maneuver and overwhelm his competition to secure the victory in the ongoing vote of all NYT readers, for the worst, and most dangerous, member of the Precedent's current Cabinet. Well played, but very sad.
1
The 2nd nuclear weapons treaty the US has pulled put of? Signs of something greater? Look at history. Anybody worried?
2
The suspicion surrounding Trump's representatives, and their contacts with high ranking Russians is not helping the situation. The Mueller report needs to be completed so that suspicion can be set aside. Without that completed report there is no trust in the negotiations.
4
@Martin
How can you expect Mueller conclusion , has any effect on this problem. Putin already got what he is looking for. Are you expecting Mueller is going to indict Putin too.
Once you lost, you lost...…...
1
@su - I expect to find out if Trump can be trusted when dealing with Putin. Mueller can't stop the stupid decisions Trump makes, but at least if Trump destroys the country I'll know he wasn't working for Putin.
The US forfeits all rights to lecture or pressure other governments about nuclear arms. I suspect this is a bit of a dance by Trump and Putin with a lots of faux outrage.
29
@Rick Taves
This is letting Putin legitimately build new Nuclear arsenal. that is all. That is plan.
4
Reading the just posted Times Dec. 15,2018 OpEd on not getting out of the IMF, I have the following observations.
1. We have been complaining for 5 years that Russia is violating the IMF with their ASS missiles that exceed treaty range limits.
2. The Times tried to downplay this because they only have 50??
3. What are we supposed to do? We have given them 60 days to reverse course...after waiting 5 years..
4. I agree we might need missiles in South China sea to check China.
We definitely DON'T need another arms race; and should add China, Pakistan, India, Iran and North Korea in further comprehensive nuclear arms talks.
5
So according to a story on the NPR news site a few days a go, the Trump administration has begun production of a new nuclear weapon.
Coincidence?
13
Cannot believe what I'm reading, and, thanks to the most irresponsible, ignorant leadership in our nation's history, these "hits" just keep on coming! Is there a strong and proud 6th grader, somewhere in America, who is president of his/her elementary school's Student Council, who is willing to step in and lead our country today? Surely, he/she (and I'm betting there are thousands of possible candidates among our young folks) can do a better job than the current team of idiots.
32
@Ann
" Is there a strong and proud 6th grader, somewhere in America, who is president of his/her elementary school's Student Council, who is willing to step in and lead our country today? "
Ann, you're setting the bar awfully high. A quasi-successful 6th grade crossing guard or Hall monitor would be a more successful option than the current WH occupant.
2
This is as dumb and dangerous as phony diplomacy gets. And I don't even know what to say to all those keyboard warriors who are either (a) condemning the move as a gift to Russia or (b) cheering it as a positive development for US security.
The past two years have provided a truly stunning demonstration of the bizarre reality of brain-dead tribalism.
8
Putin must have had cancellation of INF on his "to-do" list for Trump and his minions. After Helsinki, Syria and the "Witch Hunt," cross another item off — and what's next?
12
I'm confident the Trump-Putin Grand Conspiracy/Trump is Putin's Stooge maniacs in the Democratic Party and the media will figure out some new fancy explanation as to why Trump is cracking the whip on Putin if he actually takes orders from Putin (as if bombing Assad and pressuring Europe to switch from Russian natural gas to American gas wasn't enough to make any sense to these far more knowledgeable and balanced beings than the Deplorables). Rachel Maddow's ratings depend on it -- not to mention MSNBC's, CNN's, even the N.Y. Times'. It would even mean Paul Krugman is proven wrong. Again. Jerry Nadler and Adam Schiff: call your office.
2
And just how would anyone know if Putin was behind this idea or not? Who knows? Since DT meets with him in secret.
11
Just one more day in this strange land that is a farcical shadow of the country in which we once lived.
Our failure as a democracy is no longer in question. Now the question is: “How far will we fall and will anything be left when we hit bottom?”
How long will Congress continue to pretend this administration is anything but a system failure?
15
@Chickpea And how long will we allow a Congress that no longer speaks for us to speak for us?
9
The absence of the translator's notes is not helping
one bit the ability of the country, let alone Congress
and the Security agencies, to understand the extent
to which this suspension is based upon actual or manipulated evidence, conjecture, or plain gut based fantasy.
This concerns a fundamental nuclear threat, actual or fantastical, both to Europe and this country.
That this is happening without much, if any, pushback from
Congress reflects a complete capitulation to the executive
branch by a legislative branch uninterested in exercising its
powers of oversight and inquiry. Nothing positive can come from this.
The public display of recklessness, be it scripted or genuine
(for who knows how much of this was plotted during
the meetings without translator notes), is a good example
of lethal risk taking that borders on homicidal insanity.
In particular, it is striking that this subject apparently did not
come up in the Security Assessment earlier this week. Can anyone in a position of appropriate responsibility explain to the rest of the world what really is happening here?
Remaining in the dark about an issue of such fundamental
importance to our national security is not how a functioning
representative democracy works.
6
Putin wanted this more than Trump, who is clueless. This may be what their "private conversation" has been about. Putin now has clearance to build up and deploy armaments, and threaten his regional neighbors, in any fashion he likes. This is not Trump playing hardball, it's Putin pulling the strings.
8
The truth is that the global defense industry will risk eventual extinction of the species for profit, the global energy industry will risk eventual destruction of civilization for profit (probably followed or accompanied by war that leads to extinction of the species), and the global political class and global for-profit media systems will mostly play along.
No big shock. Anyone anywhere in the US or outside of it who tries to ameliorate anything along these lines--even relatively minor sane changes, like getting the rich to pay taxes or instituting a national health service in the US--will be crushed, one way or the other. Most people will go right along, because who cares about citizenship, independent thought, rationality, facts, and all that jazz? I mean, there's must-see TV to binge-watch!
That's reality. The rest of almost all of us are too busy with our iPhones (or three jobs), worrying about wrinkles (or three jobs), or whether Ashley codes well enough at age 3 to betoken acceptance to an Ivy-level school (or three jobs) to even try to do anything about it. But we love our children and grandchildren and the unborn in general.
7
We spent a trillion dollars or more on the war on terror, with lets just say mixed results; and now we want to get into an arms race with China and Russia? Those trillions of dollars could have rebuilt our infrastructure with enough left over to pay for research to find a cure for cancer...can't we prioritize something besides weaponry and war?
5
When Trump became president (refuse to say elected) I was devastated. I knew he was the kind of person who would abuse power, that he was incompetent, narcissistic, and potentially dangerous. Even then, I hoped he would listen to advisors, respond to guardrails provided who his own Party, and back off from all the campaign jingoism. Not only have my worst fears been realized, but it's so much worse. It's terrifying. He is a threat to our national security, a threat to democracy, and yet nothing is done. The Mueller investigation drags on and on and on. The GOP looks the other way, as though nothing to see here. This is INSANE. DT is a Manchurian (Kremlin) candidate, who does NOT put the country first. He lies, not little lies, but GIANT LIES, constantly. He is in total violation of the oath he took to defend and protect the Constitution, to protect this country. He defers to our adversaries. I don't think we can manage 2 more years of this ineptitude and chaos.
7
I have lived my entire life—70 years—under the very real, dark cloud of nuclear annihilation. More weapons of mass destruction have not once made me safer; rather they only continue to push the clock hands of M.A.D. closer to midnight. Now is the time for all of us to say "NO MORE!"
6
A better idea was be for us to continue to abide by the treaty while Russia finds ways to get around the treaty limitations.
1
As the USA fights to keep it's empire, the military industrial complex is the real winner here.
5
Putin wants the freedom to intimidate Europe with short range nukes, and Trump wants to spend billions on nuclear weapons to show his toughness. It’s a win win for the world’s leading corruptos, and one tick closer to midnight on the Armageddon clock.
4
Trump is Putin's puppet
No fear of Stone but of Putin and Mueller...
The Con Man in Chief is delusional and constantly dreams of the Ritz-Carlton in Moscow . Remember the expression on the con man's face at the Helsinki news conference we all know Putin just reminded Donald of the video recording . By the way where is Schiller ?
Keith Schiller, who worked for years as Trump's body man and accompanied Trump on the 2013 trip, told the House Intelligence Committee that the allegations were false. But he also testified that he was offered five women to send to Trump's hotel room -- an offer he says he rejected and perceived as a joke, according to the GOP House Intelligence Committee Russia investigation report. Schiller left the door unguarded shortly after the first invite.
Can you imagine constantly day dreaming about the release of the tape and other horrible acts Trump has committed (ripping babies from their mother's arms and force feeding immigrants) while Speaker Pelosi and now Mitch McConnell are setting you up to either resign or be convicted of high crimes and possibly prison time for family members.....
2
The world needs more, not fewer, nuclear arms control treaties.
No further justification is needed for Congress to take control of international relations in this area. Escalating the nuclear arms race will be economically and environmentally disastrous for everyone, and pose a risk to the survival of civilization.
5
I worked in the Pentagon in the years right after the INF Treaty was ratified in the office responsible for INF compliance, both Soviet and American. Meticulous, detailed work. We destroyed our Pershing II missiles in Europe and the Soviets destroyed their SS-20s. And our allies in NATO and their allies in the Warsaw Pact were safer.
Yes, with new technologies and with an aggressive intermediate range China muscling in, the old INF Treaty seems to have sprung some leaks. It is sorely in need of renegotiation, to include China. Frank Larsen (26 min ago) gets it. But the only way to get Russian and China to the negotiating table is to be serious about our own intermediate range programs. After all, it was the Pershing II's that forced the Soviets to agree on their SS-20s.
25
The Doomsday Clock just ticked closer to midnight. The arms race is back on. God help this planet.
15
Its time to re-watch Dr. Strangelove or: "How I learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb."
4
And yet he removes sanctions so that Putin and his government can make more money and thus build more weapons. Dear GOP, Iam waiting for you to find your backbone.
9
The American president is simply doing what his boss in the Kremlin told him to do.
I never thought much of Ronald Reagan (he was the Tea Party before there was a Tea Party) but I fully applauded his reach-out to Mikhail Gorbachev, who went way out on a limb to grasp the American president’s hand on nuclear disarmament. The B-Hollywood actor deserves full credit for demolishing the Berlin Wall. I didn’t like Reagan for his racism and his class protectionism but it wouldn’t be fair to deny him his historic place in the quest for a peaceful world. Which naturally brings us to Donald Trump.
Ignorant of history; bored with details; impatient with study; resentful of preparation—all necessary parts of the true statesman’s portfolio—this peculiar American president has taken a genuine giant step backwards in foreign policy, much like has in domestic affairs. He seems to have a John Wayne macho-type of outlook on life—it’s either or—black or white without the grey subtleties where many (if not all) of the keys to the lock(s) may be found. This is where patience and tolerance come in.
At first glance, Mike Pompeo’s tough talk might seem to be an affront to Russia, but upon further review, Vladimir Putin is now free of any excuse for limiting his nation‘s nuclear arsenal. Trump’s pullout actually strengthens the Russian president; the sly beneficiaries are the Chinese who never signed on to any nuclear disarmament agreement.
Trump’s been played. Again. Count the many ways.
107
@Red Sox, '04, '07, '13, ‘18,took you thirty years to appreciate Reagan. Who knows in thirty years you might appreciate Trump.
By the way,wait till you get north of 20 before you start crowing about the World Series.
@John Nacey
I don't think 'appreciate' means what you think it means.
6
@Red Sox, '04, '07, '13, ‘18,
No trump is being blackmailed. The American people are being played and it is a very, very dangerous game.
7
Whatever Trump’s motivations, I welcome the suspension of the nuclear arms agreement with Russia based on Russia’s repeated violations of the pact. Russia needs to choose: Tricks or treaty.
5
@Jay Orchard
Thank you for your reasonable response ... We’ve gotta get over the obsession with Trump and stick to facts ... I don’t care about Trump’s motives ... tired of hearing his name ...
@Jay Orchard
I hope you welcome the baby nukes with open arms.
1
Is this part of Putin's plan too?
Did Putin tell his puppet to do this just as he told his puppet to try to put an end Nord Stream #2?
4
@P&L Now I'm starting to think Putin really does have a tape of Trump doing something that would be "difficult to explain".
2
Crazy! The fact that world is spending billions or trillions on this madness, so that hopefully we can all go down in a blaze of nuclear fallout? Who is going to be on the winning side of that? Let's elect a candidate who runs on the platform of ending this madness!
5
An article from NPR talking about baby nukes.
https://www.npr.org/2019/02/01/690143095/the-u-s-and-russia-are-stocking-up-on-missiles-and-nukes-for-a-different-kind-of
In the 80's the DoD investigated the possibility of a nuclear hand grenade. This from a friend who worked there. We thought it was so stupid to think you could actually consider such a ridiculous idea.
Why not. We all have nuclear torpedoes. So let's take it to the next logical step: tactical nukes on the battlefield. We probably already have them stored somewhere for deployment during a real crisis.
This is of course nothing more than thinly veiled collusion by Putin's lapdog Trump.
Impeach!
9
Given that the Russians violate the agreement and that the agreement holds us back while China has been developing weapons, it may be a good idea to back out of this specific non-functional two-country agreement. The world has changed since the treaty was agreed to in ways that are hurting us.
4
Isn't this the same treaty that the Russians have been trying to get out of for years? If so, this action isn't a punishment but a favor to Putin, smoke and mirrors from the little Kremlin by the Potomac.
17
A clock is right twice a day and every once in a while Trump gets something right. This is one of those times. We are at a serious tactical disadvantage in missiles versus Russian and China.
1
Missing the leadership in this area (our most important foreign policy issue based on the disastrous consequences of a nuclear war) of Reagan and Gorbachev. Dangerous times.
3
This decision gives Russia the green light to develop more nuclear weapons. Another gift to Vladimir Putin from the Trump Administration. Another set back in the United States' international relationships.
8
Once again, the Trump administration is managing critical issues backwards. Now, more than ever, the United States should be imposing sanctions, not removing them, drawing closer to our NATO allies, not distancing ourselves from them, forging an increasing number of alliances, not denying their value. In withdrawing the country from the nuclear proliferation treaty rather than forging a nucleus of like-minded countries against Russia, Trump is isolating the US, leaving the country alone in a world where strength in numbers is the only defense against aggression. War might be the only device left to Trump to save his presidency, which he has used to lead by executive order and declarations of emergency, not acts of Congress He takes the advice of war mongering John Bolton, who seems to favor war, and the dangerously inexperienced Jared Kushner, who is too young to remember the mind-numbing Cold War. This administration has been destroying America's internal workings. Now it seems bent of eliminating its exterior stability. It must stop. Releasing nuclear weapons isn't war. It's suicide. No one wins. Trump, in his megalomania, sees glory in war, not death. But we elected him. We got what we deserve. God help us all.
3
@Bill C
Per CNN this move is actually in line with the thinking of NATO and most European governments.
2
@George S Yes, NATO agrees that Russia is violating the treaty, but it doesn't approve of the US removing itself from the treaty... does it? Does CNN approve of the US pulling out of the treaty? I guess I don't understand what you're saying.
This is meant to enable Putin. Not punish Russia.
No more secret 1v1 meetings between Trump and Putin for which there is no record available of what was discussed.
The House should subpoena the translator whose notes Trump took away.
7
The administration's suspicion that China needs to be controlled by a broadened treaty seems to be a projection of America's own warmongering ways.
China has not engaged in endless wars and bombed other countries into the stone age, like the United States has. China's flourishing has occurred relatively peacefully in comparison to the United States, and the notion of China nuking other countries without provocation makes sense only in the imagination of a myopic Hollywood writer.
If anything, China is only fortifying its nuclear arsenal for self-defense, to protect itself from our country which has a history of launching nukes in Asia and a White House full of unstable hawks.
3
Well-Well, now isn’t this cozy? Trump has just removed yet another cog in our wheel! I wonder just much longer can the wheel ( that’s us, of course) keep turning before it collapses in
a HEAP?
4
When the great physicist Enrico Fermi posed his great question ‘is there other intelligent life in the universe?’ the implication was that human beings were the only mown intelligent life in the universe. Now, as we shred agreements that have helped keep the threat of nuclear apocalypse at bay, it may be worth asking an updated version of Fermi’s question, ‘is there intelligent life on Earth?’
3
Here we go again...the world has been relatively safe since this treaty was hard fought for and signed. NOW of course, despite the claims of the uneducated Trump that it is America First, he is handing another Faberge present to his most admired leader. And there are Trump supporters that think he has the savvy diplomatic ability to shut down North Korea and Iran with their nuclear programs despite no treaties or support from our once and former allies? Note: He is NOT a superhero, and there is not a phone booth big enuf to contain his ego for him to turn into one. I grieve for the world we are leaving my grandchildren and their progeny.
3
Well here's another indication for all those, who claim Trump is doing Putin's bidding, that the U.S. will not stand for the Soviets violating a 31 year IMF Treaty. Secondly it sends a clear message to NATO that they have a friend in Trump (myth #2 about US-Russia).
For those who forget, Trump supplying the Ukraine with lethal weapons will help them defend their country from further Russian agression. Becoming a net energy exporter and the world's largest supplier of national has hurts Russia's main source of revenues - energy. Ignoring Russian pleas, Trump sent cruise missiles into Syria to stop Assad from gassing his people.
So those of you who have been promoting a Trump-Putin nefarious sympatico you can now put that to bed.
1
It now gives Russia open season on its weapons. Critical thinking is not Trump’s long suit.
you don't have a treaty if the Russians don't abide by its terms get real the only thing to do is call the Russians Bluff
3
The Military Industrial Complex wins again! Congratulations Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Raytheon, et al...
4
This is sheer madness. The United States already has enough nuclear weapons to destroy the entire earth three hundred times. Certainly it would be better to spend this money on the health and education of American citizens. How is it possible that the military industrial complex continues its destruction of the world without any visible opposition?
6
Withdrawing from the Paris accord.
Withdrawing from TPP.
Withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal.
Withdrawing from the Intermediate-Range treaty.
Threatening to pull out of NATO.
Trump and his republican floor mats are all about destruction.
Creating, negotiating, building, are nowhere near their corrupt immorality.
Except when trying to build a wall to further separate us.
History will not be kind to this filth. But before that, I hope that voters will repudiate them in 2020.
12
Fake squabble like the fake sanctions that he can point to as proof he isn't Putin's puppet. Putin approved it.
1
Now Putin has what he want. He is free to develop and share research with China on a new generation of nuclear delivery systems.
5
This is just camouflage engineered by Putin-trump to take our eyes of the Mueller investigation and to allow trump and Putin both to initiate a new arms race.
8
@Steve Normally I would agree with you, Steve, but not in this case.
This is about countering China and it's intermediate range missiles. While we are part of the treaty we could not develop or deploy these missiles in Asia against China.
@Miguel Cernichiari
And we should deploy them why. to initiate an arms race with China?
1
It sounds like we have just given Russia a carte blanc excuse to do whatever it wants in regard to ramping up its nuclear arms.
It’s almost as if our policy decisions are being made in Moscow.
35
@Joanna
US policy is now made in Moscow. Why hasn't Trump told Putin to get out of the Western Hemisphere like Kennedy did. When will the new missiles return to Cuba? Putin now has carte blanc to do that.
5
@Joanna
It sounds as if that’s they’ve been doing anyway...
1
@Joanna
Why would Moscow want the US to expand its nuclear arsenal and deploy newly developed missiles in the pacific to counter China? Please elaborate on how it is not militarily advantageous for the US to withdraw. Let’s not pretend Russia has endless resources to produce and develop weapons technology at the same rate that the US can and will.
1
Control? Pompeo?
3
I keep wondering which explosion will make homo sapiens extinct first: the population explosion or a nuclear explosion?
But I'm old now. Who cares.
ps. I actually care, I'm just not sure if enough others care.
26
We should always build on what ever good has been done previously for cause of humanity.We should not withdraw but throw a challenge to the Russians to come to a table to draw anew treaty for the cause of humanity. Both the countries have enough to destroy the earth many times over and it is time to control Egos.
I am also appalled the US cancelled all aid to West Bank etc. They should do the same to the entire region unless compromise is done on the solution of peace there. Do not only include the one side, the Palestinians.
1
Let me get this straight. Russia takes land from a sovereign country while Barack Obama keeps his thumb up... and you believe Russia is abiding by an agreement!
DJT did more yesterday and every day to oppose Russian expansion than, I hesitate to call him a president, did in eight years. At least look at the record.
2
@Dr. Mysterious
Why has Trump allowed Russia to come in Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Guatemala. Trump will probably give him the Ukraine, Cuba, and the former Soviet bloc countries.
2
@Dr. Mysterious Obama levied sanctions, You forget Ukraine was not a US ally. Short of war what cold Obama do. What Obama didn't do is provide Russia with an out to develop new and nastier nuclear missals, That was Trump's gift along with Trump not enforcing sanctions on Russia. Trump is enabling Russia the question is why. I do not recall Trumps attempt to realign America alliances with Russia over western Europe as part of his political platform. I smell treason.
2
@Dr. Mysterious I guess we'll have to see whether Pompeo's announcement actually promptly Putin to remove his missiles. If not, all Trump will have accomplished is to thump his chest, his favorite presidential action instead of concrete results.
1
The article says this is about getting out of a treaty that limits our ability to deal with China’s military expansion in the western Pacific. (Read to paragraph 5 and beyond.) I don’t know if that is a good move or not. Could Putin be in on it??
2
Instead of fighting hunger and HIV on the African continent or helping with the systemic problems that are driving migrants out of their homes in Honduras and toward our border, we are blowing up treaties and agreements and running backward to build nuclear missiles we can launch from space. How did we get here?
As is said below, come on 2020.
5
Gee Trump never mentioned once that he thought Putin was such a bad guy for violating his arms deal. In fact, he said that Putin was a great leader, a better leader than Obama. So out of the blue, he announces this flagrant unilateral abuse of power by announcing an end to a treaty that has kept the world safe from a nuclear arms race. The fact is, Trump/Pompeo want more nuclear arms in the US arsenal. Maybe we can reinstate the estate tax to pay for it? Trump has no idea what he’s doing. Congress needs to put a check on him.
33
Ending a treaty seems counter intuitive. Both sides are claiming heightened national security risk over specific violations. However, if national security was really the concern, the absence of any treaty is far more dangerous than the violations. We can only conclude neither country is really interested in national security. They are interested in ending the constraints enforced by the INF treaty. Russia and the US aren't fighting. They are cooperating.
Asia is certainly important to the US end game here. However, what better way for Trump to threaten NATO than by rearming a hostile power on the European border? Militarizing Guam is the second front in a new Cold War. Trump and his advisers apparently expect a more pliant western alliance when the western alliance is directly targeted by hostile intermediate range nuclear missiles. The action justifies greater Russian and Chinese military aggression.
Putin is smiling.
5
@Andy
Leaving a treaty that limits us against new threats, just on a technicality, seems shrewd to me. I don’t understand why Putin would be smiling. The absence of China from the treaty is more dangerous than the absence of any treaty. Russian and especially Chinese aggression have gone unchecked, deploying counter measures is the appropriate response. Tell me how Putin would welcome this when Russia hasn’t even mastered stealth yet.
This is America discovering what was discussed between Trump and Putin in one of their secret talks. Whatever is going on it will absolutely benefit Putin. Putin wants out of the agreement why? We may be able to suss that out and maybe we won't. But what we can absolutely know is that this is Putin ordering Trump to engineer the result. Whenever I 'dare to call it what it is', the comment get's blocked.
10
This is a prime example of one of the problems with a president and administration that lies without compunction - a president who just this week lied about the video taped public testimony of his security team and asked us to believe him over our own eyes, an administration that sends out Kellyanne Conway and the rest for the explicit purpose of lying to us.
We don't trust them to tell the American people the truth about ANYTHING.
24
@Lee R
Neither do our allies. Trump is the gravest national security threat to the US in modern history, even if he isn't a Russian agent. His Duning-Kruger combined with his pathological lying, greed, and narcissism are a world killing combination.
4
For those who think we should work towards better relations with Russia, this is just one more reminder that Putin (like Xi of China and the leaders of Iran) is not looking for better relations with us, he is looking to expand his countries' power and dominate as much of the world as he is able. All three see our isolationist, policy-abhorrent President as week and see opportunities for them to further their goals. The only difference is that Putin and Iran are mostly thinking in terms of military expansion while Xi is thinking more about economic expansion (wonderful story what China's Belt & Road initiative is doing in Kazakhistan in the NYT yesterday).
For those who think we need to look not at Trump's words but at his actions, we need to remember that words matter. Our allies no longer trust us and ou enemies feel emboldened. Would Putin act so aggressively against a competent American President?
411
@Bill
After reading the just posted Times Dec. 15,2018 OpEd on not getting out of the IMF, I have the following observations.
1. We have been complaining for 5 years that Russia is violating the IMF with their ASS missiles that exceed treaty range limits.
2. The Times tried to downplay this because they only have 50??
3. What are we supposed to do? We have given them 60 days to reverse course...after waiting 5 years..
4. I agree we might need missiles in South China sea to check China.
We definitely DON'T need another arms race; and should add China, Pakistan, India, Iran and North Korea in further comprehensive nuclear arms talks.
9
@Bill
Reading the just posted Times Dec. 15,2018 OpEd on not getting out of the IMF, I have the following observations.
1. We have been complaining for 5 years that Russia is violating the IMF with their ASS missiles that exceed treaty range limits.
2. The Times tried to downplay this because they only have 50??
3. What are we supposed to do? We have given them 60 days to reverse course...after waiting 5 years..
4. I agree we might need missiles in South China sea to check China.
We definitely DON'T need another arms race; and should add China, Pakistan, India, Iran and North Korea in further comprehensive nuclear arms talks.
2
@Bill
"Would Putin act so aggressively against a competent American President?"
Of course not. It wasn't Putin who crossed borders into Ukraine, Crimea, Syria,...they asked for it.
Bill, who was that competent you were referring to?
8
The idea that these nukes serve a function is laughable. But these treaties serve a function to have the US and Russia in communication. The Europeans see this a minor violation. The era of major efforts to get nuclear arms reduction seems to have passed. Bolton and his pals seem to be from the Casper Weinberg school that the US can fight and win a nuclear war.
6
This is such an awesome sales tactic of Trump and his Russian buddy. Pull out of Syria and let our Russians in. Do nothing on Crimea. Pull out of our treaty so it looks like you forced our hand, and we'll stop making nukes and we will make you look like the savior! Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!
2
Another win for Putin! There is now no tool whatsoever to halt his military programs. This is the most short-sighted, shallow move. It's gross negligence. Throw it onto the pyre of misdeeds that only point to one theory: Trump is a traitor to the nation.
9
Clear and present danger
3
Wait, Trump is the Manchurian Candidate, selling out to and colluding with the Russians? Or he's a warmonger who's gonna start WWIII with them?
Please clarify, Democrat Propaganda Department - sorry, I mean the New York Times. I and your other readers need to know which way to be self-righteously outraged. Thanks!
3
The INF treaty is only a ban on landbased medium range missiles.
A medium range missile like the Tomahawk is legal to use if the weaponsplatform is aircraft, ship or sub.
The same goes for similar missiles that the russians have.
So it is not about the missile itself, it all about if the russians have a landbased weaponsplatform that can be used to launch af medium range missile.
The russians have mobile ICBM launchers and with some tinkering these mobile units should be able to launch a medium range missile.
Even if the INF treaty goes away, the US have almost no place to deploy new landbased missiles except from Alaska.
It is only Alaska that is in range from medium landbased missiles. The rest of the USA is out-of-range.
4
As a Canadian who grew up on the border with the USA, I heard a great deal of the American system of "checks and balances". I was envious because our parliamentary system essentially gives our PM with a majority government all the power of a dictator, albeit for a term of just four years.
However, I have now learned that the "checks and balances" often come up short. Your current president has unilaterally pulled out of many international agreements: TPP, climate change, Iran nuclear, and now the arms control treaty with Russia. He has also imposed ridiculous tariffs on many countries, including Canada, under the laughable assumption that we are a security threat. And he threatens a unilateral decision to declare a national emergency to get the wall for his base.
My envy for your system has subsided.
724
@Phil Ford
Sadly this has been growing for years with, as the presidency, allowed by Congress, has assumed ever more power, something never intended by the Founders. Alas, too many Americans has idolized the presidency as the very embodiment of government, acting by executive orders and fiat...all fine when you support the one in power, and a travesty when the opposite occurs.
52
@Phil Ford
The problem is we have a parliamentary system without a parliament. In the past, Democrats and Republicans crossed the aisle on a variety of issues, which allowed legislation to pass (like the Civil Rights Acts of '64 and '65 and Medicare). Today the parties, especially the GOP, vote as a parliamentary bloc. Combine that with a willfully incompetent president and you have the recipe for our current mess.
63
@Phil Ford I think that this disaster of a minority elected president has exposed a couple of major flaws in our system of government. One, the EC has shown that it's easily manipulated through re-districting and needs to be scrapped. No more tyranny of the minority. And two, the president's power needs to be severely restricted.
62
A treaty is negotiated by the Executive and consented to by the U.S. Senate. Should a President by able to remove the country from the treaty without the consent of the Senate?
32
Absolutely great question. Clear and present danger.
6
This is the greatest failure of all of this Administration, just another though in a long string of destruction wrought by a President who does not lead or create, but merely destroys what existed for years before his election. So now we will have Russia ignoring the norms of civilized behavior, but now there will be nothing that they should be held accountable to or for. And as the article suggests, a new war begins...the Cold War revisited. With our Allies or Counterparts in Europe even more incapable of taking their part in the defence of the West. Trump has only destroyed. He and Pompeo have done nothing to make the world safer or more fit. And also today Trump rants that he will not negotiate over what shut down the government, so soon we will have no treaty, no wall and no government.
6
"But while the United States has insisted Russia’s actions sank the treaty, the Trump administration’s real aim is to broaden its prohibitions to include China.
"Constrained by the treaty’s provisions, the United States has been prevented from deploying new weapons to counter China’s efforts to cement a dominant position in the Western Pacific and keep American aircraft carriers at bay."
The United States and many allies spent fifteen years negotiating the multilateral treaty that was to have ensured that the United States remained the most powerful nation in Asia, mightier even than China. Its success was in uniting the entire region's economy (40% of the world's entire economy!), to align itself with the United States, rather than with China, despite that China was a geographically near neighbor to all those allies. Mr. Chump trashed the treaty early in his tenure, while gaining nothing in exchange from China. It was called the "Trans-Pacific Partnership." Funny how one stupid, thoughtless, moronic act could play some role in dismantling a nuclear treaty later.
4
The effect of withdrawing the United States from this treaty also has the effect of allowing Russia to withdraw without being the bad guy. Given what we know about trump's relationship with Putin, it may very well be that our compromised president was directed to withdraw.
3
The CIA and intelligence agencies tell us that Russia is violating the treaty. President Obama raised these issues with Putin and so have our diplomats for 8 years. Trump is crazy. The CIA and intelligence agencies tell us this 35 year old one sided treaty is hamstringing us with China, Trump is crazy. The CIA and Intelligence agencies tell us we need to keep sacrificing blood and treasure in Afghanistan and Syria. Trump is crazy. NOAA says its 25 below in Chicago, Trump says it cold in Chicago, Trump rejects government scientist opinion that its very cold.
2
In what world is withdrawing entirely from treaties a way to secure full compliance with treaties? Probably the same world in which the Paris Accords are a threat to U.S. sovereignty. As the latter half of the article makes clear, the real objective is not even Russian compliance. It's the deployment of intermediate range nuclear missiles against the Chinese. What the situation calls for is continued dialogue with the Russians to meet their reasoned objections to U.S. deployment of loop-hole technologies and new, wide-ranging negotiations with the Chinese to reduce the risk of war in Asia. But to expect that of a president who believes that bully and bluster wins the day, that any restraint on U.S. action is "taking advantage of us," is its own kind of madness. Not to put too fine a point on it, the sooner we get rid of Trump, the safer we will all be. An ill-informed, impulsive, personally belligerent President sitting atop an administration staffed with unreconstructed neo-con war-hawks is a recipe for global catastrophe.
272
@RRI
For those who think Trump is doing Putin's bidding, that the U.S. will not stand for the Soviets violating a 31 year IMF Treaty. Secondly it sends a clear message to NATO that they have a friend in Trump (myth #2 about US-Russia).
For those who forget, Trump supplying the Ukraine with lethal weapons will help them defend their country from further Russian agression. Becoming a net energy exporter and the world's largest supplier of national has hurts Russia's main source of revenues - energy. Ignoring Russian pleas, Trump sent cruise missiles into Syria to stop Assad from gassing his people.
So those of you who have been promoting a Trump-Putin nefarious sympatico you can now put that to bed.
2
@RRI
He's found a button that he wants to press to 'see what happens'.
Donald, you are a clear and present danger to this planet.
16
@OldTimer: Oh come one! Trump cannot influence Russia to stop making certain weapons if he withdraws the US from the nuclear weapons treaty. He is saying that he can negotiate a better deal by tossing out the current deal? How?
11
If the administration thinks that Russia is so flagrant at violating arms control treaties, then why does Trump not bang the table about this more instead of saying what a nice guy Putin is?
The answer is that actors in this administration are looking for an excuse to back out of arms control treaties they don't agree with in the first place. They want an excuse to re-arm, so Putin's transgressions are welcome.
8
If you have not read Daniel Ellsberg book, “The Doomsday Machine: Confessions of a Nuclear War Planner,” I urge you to do so. It is a bone-chilling terrifying account of the U.S. military’s nuclear war plan during the height of the cold war from WWII through the Nixon Administration. Ellsberg was the first civilian authorized by the military to analyze the plan to find any shortcomings. The JCS, Congress and the Public were never informed. Ellsberg had to wait until Kennedy was sworn in as President to tip off McNamara. Ellsberg has no doubt the same implementation plan remains unchanged. A nuclear arms race is useless and the U.S. has no need to expand its inventory. No matter what country makes the irrational decision to launch first, all life on earth will be extinguished.
14
Regarding:”Ahead of Friday’s announcement, Russia had aggressively used social media accounts to portray the United States as the treaty-breaker and the aggressor.”
Dear Mr. Trump, do you see how this works? You played dirty with the Russians. They promised to help get you elected and you, Mr. art of the deal, never bothered to ask what you were supposed to do in exchange. They have made you into the grandest puppet of all time. Now they are dangling you like fresh meat into the cesspool of social media. Watch them play you like the Fool you are. As you might say , sad! Except it goes well beyond sad. This is truly terrifying. Mr. Mueller, please finish your investigation and then we can move on with the business of removing this horribly unfit man from the presidency before World War III is started.
49
Agree. But if unfit, why not invoke the 25th amendment?
1
@Lynn Wilson And played, too, by our own hyperconservative media: Laura, Tomi, Anne, Tucker, Jeanine, et al have him over a barrel. Since he doesn't read briefings and doesn't listen to his staff, he, and we, are left with whatever reactive impulse emanates from his undisciplined uninformed and gigantic, if shapeless, ego.
3
Here we go again. Larry Moe and Curly Joe.
8
According to the constitution the president can make treaties provided that 2/3's of the senate concur, so if his "Heinous" hasn't consulted with the senate to get their approval to withdraw from this treaty then this should be what the idiot calls fake news.
However again this is him rewriting the constitution.
Come on 2020.
3
Trump vs. Putin
That's bringing a pillow to a knife fight.
2
Once this treaty is demolished, there will never be any chance of a new one. Trump is either the most incredibly ignorant person ever to be in the WH or he is purposely working on Putin’s behalf. The cost to stay in the treaty? Zero. The cost to get out? Another nuclear arms race.
38
@Dan
Dan, what in the world makes you think that "either" is the right word? BOTH!
8
Good grief: For those of us who grew up having to practice diving under our desks during bomb drills, this is a resurrected nightmare. Congrats to the president's team on bringing the anxiety and developing another jumpy generation to inherit the stupidity of its entitled, elderly kleptocrats.
It should haunt us all: What prize (or cover) is the president getting from our enemies?
5
If there ever were a more dangerous domestic terrorist, can anyone please educate me? This is not policy being changed, this is the destruction of our, and our allies, standing and security. Congress, you are responsible, right the sinking ship.
38
@Cliff R
Obama
2
Countries must be held accountable when they break the rules,” Mr. Pompeo told journalists at the State Department.
O.K., Mike. Now what about your boss?
13
Wake up folks, the standing Volunteer Armed Forces we have in place just won't be able to do the job for us.
There will/must be a Military draft to fill the ranks. Nobody wants a war, a next one would send us back to the "dark ages". Wake up whoever is in charge of the United States of America.
2
@lftash My children will not be in this administration's military. If that means leaving the US, so be it.
It’s time for millennia of human thought, philosophy, art and culture to reorient toward the idea that it’s all about to come to a stunning, miserable, violent end.
3
Well, a nuclear winter is a sure cure for global warming. Maybe...
3
@Steve Stiff medicine . . . let's hope not, Steve. I hope we can do better, tho' I share your view of consequences if we do not do better soon.
1
Another transparent announcement by smiley Pompeo, the worst unthinking Secretary of State in recent times. Add this to the list of dangerous diversions that the Trumpies — like Bolton, Ross, et al — are throwing out to hopefully appease Donnie before the real hammer comes down on his tiny hands via Mueller's report. Will this White House ignoramus ever realize that this is not a reality TV show? This is real, not a game of 'battleship'; no question, there is global danger and international fear ahead! It's time for a 'white jacket' fitting for the king of tweet.
4
Of all the possible sanctions and ways to rein in Putin's destructive ambitions, Pinocchio managed to find and endorse the one most dangerous to the world. Trump is stunningly predictable.
1
What doesn’t make any sense is to lift sanctions on Russia on one issue only to turn around and break a a longstanding treaty on nuclear arms. I wonder if Trump has really taken this under advisement or it was a fairly unilateral decision. If China and Russia align then what negotiating powers will we have and what allies will be in our corner given our recent lack of diplomacy on the world stage? The world seems to be a less safe place under this Administration when our President continues with such a naive understanding of the issues.
8
@Dawn We can fix this by electing a president who cares first for America.
1
@Dawn Yes, Dawn . . . you are correct that it does not make sense (if thinking rationally, as a leader of a nation). However, we have someone not necessarily "rational" or gives a hoot for our country or anyone else.
And, Yes again, Dawn . . . the world is a more dangerous place with the likes of anyone such as Trump, the Clinton gang or the Bush Dynasty . . . .
It is time to elect someone like Independent Senator Bernie Sanders next year, and remove Trump and Pence now, before it is too late!
So trump believes Putin when he says they didn’t interfere with our election process but doesn’t believe him on this issue.
7
He may be doing this to make a show of how tough he is on Russia. In reality, he is in Putin's pocket.
7
"In the year 2525
If man is still alive
If woman can survive
They may find-" (Zager and Evans - 1968)
3
This sounds like theater to me.
5
@123jojoba I completely agree.
1
I hate to be ‘that guy’ but in these times I’m not so sure I’m incorrect. Could it be that Putin made the request of trump to come up with an excuse to tear up the treaty ? Now Putin is free to put missiles wherever he would like . China and Russia are getting way to cozy.
4
No surprise there. The treaty has been moribund for years. No point in keeping it. They should try and negotiate a new one
Could it be more obvious that Trump is taking orders fro Putin?
4
Putin loves this and suspending the treaty was probably a big topic when Trump met with Putin privately. Putin hated the treaty is now free to move ahead aggressively and without constraints.
What an odd performance by Pompeo. His heart wasn’t in his words as he appeared dismissive of his own speech today. It was glaring that he thinks this is a bad idea forced on him by a President who is more loyal to Russia than the U.S.
4
@John Adams Good observation about Pompeo not having his heart in the words he uttered . . . however, Pompeo is not really into this on behalf of the people of the USA . . . rather, it is the glitter or gold that attracts him, not patriotism!
2
So many clueless comments in here. Nobody seems to be aware that the US launchers for anti-ballistic missiles are not not only all over the Russian western border but can be repurposed to launch as nuclear heads within hours. Do you think the Pentagon is not aware of this? This a blatant breach of trust and unprecedented display of hypocrisy. These launchers are nukes disguised a simple countermeasures. And of course the NYT will not mention this.
The DoD strategy has been the same for decades: low key bully an adversary until it is cornered and forced to show its teeth to finally use that as a pretext for full-on assault. When they can't get their "rebels" to do it for them that is.
1
What if this is all part of an elaborate plan hatched between Putin and Trump during their private conversations? What if, for assurance he would be able to build a Trump Tower Moscow, Trump agreed to a deal that would allow Russia to begin to build nuclear weapons? As there are no notes from these conversations, we will never know, but I think it warrants investigation.
13
Was this one of the subjects that trump discussed with Putin in his secret meetings? How does this not play into the long terms plans for Russia in its efforts to destabilize world order? Just add this to the list of trumps accomplishments. Arms for votes.
53
Things really moving in a positive direction here. Thanks, voters/non-voters.
5
“'Countries must be held accountable when they break the rules,' Mr. Pompeo told journalists at the State Department.'"
Or when they don't (Iran).
Maybe this is the right move. Maybe it's not. How can we know?
It would be nice to be able to believe our adminstration. But we can't. An adminstration that lies multiple times per day every day must be held as unreliable.
It would be nice to be confident that this was a well thought out plan done with the input of experts. But we can't. The President rejects all advice that doesn't match his gut or his "very good" brain. A president that is not in touch with reality cannot be trusted.
It would be nice if we could trust the people around an unstable and uninformed president to act in the interest of the our nation. But we can't. Sycophants and party over country partisans can never be believed.
It would be nice if we could be confident that we will survive this disaster of a Presidency for another 2 years without an avoidable catastrophe occuring.
But we can't.
94
How does leaving a treaty Russia is ignoring anyway going to force them to comply?
It DOES give us the freedom to resume the Cold War. That is the real motivation.
Sanctions, sanctions, sanctions, and more sanctions. But this method is too tame and too time-consuming. Autocrats like threats as their method of choice. Instant results that require little thought.
And no secret meetings, please.
2
Looks like our Nato Alliance will be next to go. The chaos from our present government is everything the Russians and Chinese have hoped for and are now getting.
5
Should we now expect Trump to say Pompeo was misquoted on video, and that the U.S. has long been in violation of the treaty? I suppose it depends on what the instructions are from Red Square, and how Trump will roll them out.
It will probably go something like this; "I don't know why Russia WOULD be" violating the treaty.
4
"The issue is whether the administration has a plan for what comes next."
Uh oh. Two years of history strongly suggests this administration doesn't have a plan for anything.
12
Another victory for the U.S. military industrial complex. To them, peace and disarmament treaties equal restraint of trade. Remember, it’s your tax dollars that will be going into their pockets.
9
Missiles are a relatively inexpensive multiplier of a nation's military power. Rather than spending enormous amounts of money on a standing military and the equipment for an army, navy, and air force, missiles (particularly when produced in large numbers) make any nation a potential power and formidable problem. And while he may have been making some gestures to bring this on, for Putin, who hasn't the money for a navy or air force, he played his cards well and this is a bonus from Trump.
Missiles, in large numbers, are difficult to defend against and while we spend trillions on F-35s and aircraft carriers, other nations (including rouge ones like North Korea) will become menaces at much lower cost to themselves as missile technology spreads.
Reagan bankrupted the Soviets in a military spending poker game, now it looks like much of our military spending (including the extra Trump wants NATO to spend) has only put us back in the "duck and cover" era.
As with other Trump administration actions involving the Russians the question becomes: Who benefits?
5
Having a Secretary of State who just goes along with an increasingly delusional President is getting really scary. I wish Congress especially the GOP majority in the Senate would do something to uphold the balance of power. To be dropping out of treaties that are good for our country and the world without due diligence is distressing.
13
Perhaps this is the result of an agreement Trump and Putin reached during their secret communications.
10
The administration is doing its best, “See, look how tough we are on Russia” routine when all the while this is yet another gift to Putin. If the treaty goes away, Russia has carte blanche to develop the weapons of their dreams, while blaming the United States for suspending the treaty. It's the glory-days of the old USSR all over again.
5
I suspect that Vladimir Putin thinks this is a marvelous idea and, perhaps, even suggested it. If we had a functioning State Department we would be in s better position to know.
6
For two years Trump has been screaming to Putin that he has carte blanche to do anything he likes, and the US will do nothing. Here is an example. The treaty should be in force, but rather than try to make Russia adhere to it, we just cut and run away. This action--suspending the treaty--is nothing. There need to be severe sanctions on Russia for all kinds of actions. But Trump is clearly Putin's puppet and his sycophantic supporters don't care. Trump has made our nation much less secure, and he has sold our European allies down the river.
6
Apparently the various sanctions imposed on Russia for the Crimean invasion and other offenses against members of the international community (election tampering to name one), have really put a crimp in the Russian economy and the pocket books of the oligarchs Putin relies on. So, the logical thing for the world community to do would be to increase the sanctions which are clearly effective. But what does Putin's Puppet do?
He pretends to be the tough guy, cancels a proven-to-be-effective missile treaty, pretending to threaten a new arms race. And what does Vlad do? He huffs and puffs and finally will agree to stop spending money he really doesn't have on what he has been using as bargaining chips all along. And, why would Donnie Dimwit do this? Well, he knows what records and tapes and who knows what all Vlad has which would be of great interest to Mueller.
3
I find it interesting that this article contains no direct quotes from trump. Me thinks that with his wishy-washiness towards Russia, this proclamation from the Trump Administration is meaningless. However, that will not be the case for our Allies around the world nor to Russia.
I am sure Putin will have a word with his puppet. Stay tuned! Perhaps the arms race is not nearly as important as cyber warfare.
3
Putin got what he wants: the INF Treaty is suspended, but the USA can be made to shoulder the blame for its suspension.
He can now openly parade his missiles in Kaliningrad, a Russian enclave 600km from Berlin, 1200km from Brussels, 1500km from Paris and London.
4
El Trumpo has a problem. In order to persuade us that he's not a compromised lap dog he has to periodically acknowledge these kinds of violations and take some punitive action against Russian. By doing so, he risks alienating the Russians who may well have kompromat, and also reinforces what every one else knows, and that which makes his malignant obsequiousness so "curious": the Russians remain an evil empire.
1
A country run by a dictatorship, violates international borders, support the killing of thousands of civilians to keep another dictatorship in place and now didn’t respect an arm treaty agreement.
It is as bad if not worst than what Iran has done to have sanctions reimposed, so we should see severe and punishing sanctions happening really soon right ? But let’s stop kidding ourselves, we are talking about a country run by one of trump’s best friend. You have to be part of the club to do whatever you want .
2
IOW, Putin wanted out of the treaty so his asset Trump staged a dog-and-pony show to make it seem legit.
Even if that isn't true, with this president, how can we be sure?
3
Yesterday I read an excellent article by Masha Gessen in The New Yorker with a distinctly original point of view. Gessen, a Russian emigrée, likened the present Russian government to a Mafia, not a real government...a kleptocracy that acts in its own interests only, and often short-sighted in its actions as well.
Perhaps it's time to consider the Trump "Administration" and its GOP collaborators a short-sighted organized crime organization as well.
Tearing up treaties and alliances that have largely preserved the peace and kept the world stable enough for growth. The effects of what, in effect, is racketeering, are only short-term gains and a build-up of push-back.
I recall that the novelist Richard Condon, most known for "The Manchurian Candidate," also wrote a trilogy about a fictional American organized crime family, the Prizzis. The last novel of the trilogy, "Prizzi's Glory," seems almost on point. See https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/richard-condon-5/prizzis-glory/
"If it can be imagined, it can be done." Adam Smith
4
No surprise. When W was elected I waited to see which war he would start. He started the Iraq war on unfounded allegations. I've been waiting for the one Trump would start. Beware the military industrial complex.
"Eisenhower ..." to warn about "the immense military establishment" that had joined with "a large arms industry."
"Eisenhower was worried about the costs of an arms race with the Soviet Union, and the resources it would take from other areas -- such as building hospitals and schools."
https://www.npr.org/2011/01/17/132942244/ikes-warning-of-military-expansion-50-years-later
4
Very distressing news. This administration does not have the integrity nor the capacity to intelligently assess a more reasoned approach to this problem. I fear that the ineptitude of the Trump White House will put the entire world at risk if allowed to solve every problem with force, rather than diplomacy.
6
Maybe if every last intelligence chief had said the real truth that the greatest threat to the U.S. is its president, who is removable, then they wouldn’t be watching the large-scale annihilation of U.S. national security day by day. It’s time for honesty.
8
The United States is moving ever closer to the precipice. The damage that Trump has done in two years, will continue to do in the next two years, and possibly for four more years after that, cannot be minimized. We as Americans need to look inside our souls and ask whether this is really what we want for our country.
117
I see.
"Medicare For All" will bankrupt us all....
.... but a new arms race is A-OK.
Well, sorry, boys, but you shot the budget last year with your $1.5+ TRILLION DOLLARS. There is no more money.
You want a new arms race?
Tax the rich, fools.
550
@rosa - But we need the money to keep sinking it in Afghanistan and Syria. We have no choice, the CIA and Intelligence communities say so. Only Crazy Russian Trump would consider withdrawing.
8
@Mkm
Naw. "Fake News", my friend!
Afghanistan has almost 3 TRILLION buckos in natural resources. Check our bombing pattern and you'll see that we were very specific on which geology we 'loosened up'. It's all just waiting for Eric Prince to oversee the trucking of it out.
See how smart these Republicans are?
And ditto for Syria. Putin told Trump EXACTLY where to bomb for the laying down of Pooty's Pipeline!
Sorry, but Eric Prince isn't in on that one. Truth is, Pooty thinks he's a real (cat's anatomy).
"No choice"? Well... yes. That's the whole point of PNAC and the Bush Doctrine, to insure that American's have "no choice" on any of it.
....and, I should know - after all, I'm a woman.
"Choice"?
FAKE NEWS! FAKE NEWS!
13
@Mkm not said often enough!
4
Trump does not believe in making and committing commitments. Someone violates a treaty, you don’t walk away as your first reaction but charge your diplomats to address the violation.
65
@Joel Stegner This has been going on for months, and will continue for months. No one has walked away yet. Communication lines are open. This has the full support of the UN, and perhaps most of the world except China. Russia is in violation of the treaty. Feel free to research the 9M729 cruise missile. Would you prefer the Obama approach where they invade one of our allies, and we do nothing?
1
@Andrew Patton
Trump already has done that...the US has been "invaded" and a coup has been successful. We just don't realize it yet.
7
Trump’s idea of a treaty is as fluid and unstable as his views on contracts, marriage, and morality in general.
12