Originally appeared on strategic-culture.org
It is rather astounding the American double-think. It was the US side which unilaterally abolished the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) treaty in 2002. And it is the US side which is now unilaterally threatening to walk away from a second landmark arms control treaty, the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces (INF) accord, which was first put in place in 1987.
Yet it is Washington that is accusing Russia of violating the global arms control architecture.
Washington has been relentlessly encroaching on Russia’s national security over the past two decades with expansion of NATO forces on Russia’s borders, including the deployment of missiles systems. And yet Washington has the bare face to accuse Moscow of breaching arms controls.
How would the US feel, if say, Russia were to deploy missile systems in Mexico? Yet, the US is doing similar on Russia’s borders and then turning around and accusing Moscow of aggression. The American double-think here betrays a disturbing, stupid arrogance.
This week, US and Russian officials met in Geneva to discuss the INF and problems surrounding the treaty on both sides. But the US side in typical high-handed fashion refused to enter into detailed negotiations about alleged grievances contended by both sides. Washington spurned detailed talks and simply repeated its threats to unilaterally abrogate the INF.
It now seems certain that the US will withdraw from the INF over the next two months. The abrogation of the treaty, in place since 1987 as negotiated by former President Ronald Reagan and former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, could mean the return of US medium-range nuclear missiles to Europe targeting Russia.
It is a stupendous retrograde step. Moscow has already warned that if the US abandons the INF, then it will be compelled to respond by installing missiles that will target European allies of the US. This is a lamentable unwinding of arms control and undoing of global security.
But who is responsible? It is the US that is wholly responsible for this retrograde step. No doubt about it. The question has to be asked: which side has continually sought to undermine global security? Any objective observer can see that the US and its cancellation of the ABM in 2002 followed by relentless expansion of NATO offensive forces towards Russia is the malign motive force.
Western accusations against Russia of “aggression” towards Europe are preposterous propaganda and devious projection of its own malign activities, primarily in the support of a violent coup d’état in Ukraine by Neo-Nazis in early 2014. The relentless aggressive expansion of NATO, resembling the Nazi Operation Barbarossa in 1941, is the real context of developments, not the Western media travesty of “Russian aggression”.
What are US and NATO grievances concerning the INF? They claim Russia is in breach of the INF from its development of a land-launched cruise missile, the 9M729 or Novator missile. Russia denies that claim and has repeatedly asked the US for evidence or details of its grievance in order for a negotiated resolution of the matter to take place. Washington has steadfastly refused to provide details, as the cursory and failed negotiations in Geneva this week proved once again.
Meanwhile, it is a patent fact that Washington has deployed missile systems in Romania and Poland which are incontestably in violation of the INF, potentially breaching the treaty in a most brazen manner. Washington calls these missile systems “defensive” and “against rogue regimes like Iran”. Come off it. Nobody in their right mind could buy such a pretext. These missile system directly and promptly put Moscow at risk of an American nuclear attack.
A way to resolve these issues is to hold mutually respectful negotiations within the framework of the INF. But herein is the rub. The US side evidently does not want to negotiate. It is simply blustering ahead with its own speculative claims against Russia.
Washington’s intransigent attitude – which predates Trump – inevitably raises the suspicion that the US side is not in the slightest bit interested in negotiations with Russia on a mutual basis. The US is contriving grievances as an excuse for its own desire to rip up the INF as it did with the ABM.
By falsely claiming that Russia is “violating” the INF, the US is giving itself license to expand its forces and missile systems in Europe to threaten Russia.
This is a deplorable act of lawlessness by the US, but one which is part of a whole pattern of conduct whereby Washington sees itself as above any international law or norms of conduct in its pursuit of hegemonic ambitions.
Washington accuses Moscow? The American regime has been on a decades roll of criminal genocidal wars in the Middle East and beyond, sponsoring terrorism and regime change. And it has the brass neck to accuse Moscow of threatening global security. Its INF violation and desire to put Europe on a hair trigger for nuclear war is totally in keeping with American criminal imperialism. Trying to scapegoat Russia for its own criminal orgy of misconduct is the biggest, foulest joke imaginable.
Fortunately, Russia has the political intelligence and military capability to know how to deal with such American duplicity and, ultimately, imbecility. The American political class think they know it all. They don’t know anything. American stupid arrogance is their own downfall. Bring it on.
NATO is now so far removed from its original concept, that is the defence of Europe, that it has virtually become America’s proxy army based in Europe, which it is desperately trying to goad into taking on Russia for it’s own ends. A localised European war would be bad for Europe, bad for Russia, but in the eyes of the warmongering Deep State Hawks, good for the Yanks.
Good comment Brian.
I wouldn’t only completely agree with the unfortunate formulation “in the eyes of the warmongering Deep State Hawks, good for the Yanks” It is not only “in the eyes” of the Hawks only… The fact is that US is so much in debt that they know they will never be able to pay it back. So default and collapse of the dollar is now inevitable. They are too desperate to reject any option of exit ( no matter how impossible or difficult )… The only thing that could prevent U.S. collapse is conventional, very limited World War ( in Ukraine for example ).. Between Russia and Ukraine (and NATO behind Ukraine) that would totally drain down Russia and brake Europe economically and put EU in servile position even more to the US China would lose strongest allay and would become much more vulnerable to US (nuke) military aggression. I can understand that there is too many “IF” in this theory but I also consider it to be quite realistic as desperate attempt to save falling Empire.
Well, so far the ruling class in Europe looks like they are doing everything in their power to please US war interest. The liberal EU Elite pour millions of refugees into Europe, they expand the numbers of US bases in East Europe, they agree to put US tactical short range nukes all over Europe, they change EU infrastructure to fit US/NATO planned war between Russia-EU, EU contribute all they can in self-suffering sanctions.
The world changes. Before WW2 USSR divded them wit Germany. Before that Russia as the only ones lost WW1 3 times. And before that Russia took Caucasus and much more in Asia.
You dont get the point. EU is an economic big power and not made for war but making trade, devellopment and progress.
You seemes not able to understand that Europeans are very different people well shown in WW1 and 2, where USA did not wanted to be involved. You dont get the tasil and the dog.
But get Russia then. They too those big areas after WW2 and kept them until USSR collapsed itself. They never was asked at all. Even the Nazis anytime prefared Americans for Russians.
And off course this is good for the americans. We are in the world economy with them and mainly do fine.
What do You compare with is better ?
The US INF unilateral withdrawal will cost them money to develop a new MRBM capable of evading Russian air defenses, and eventually find some country or countries willing to field them. Developing a new MRBM is another order for the MIC that has a plate full of white elephants.
There will be no problem making euro vassals agree to become targets for Russian nukes – as of right now. But things are changing so repidly that things may become different in relatively. Not that those pseudo democracies will start thinking about their people but they may find a new master to obey (China). More than that, there may be some drastic changes within US that will change its world position.
Partial shut down of the US goverment with no end in sight, spells the possibility of social unrest ……leading to draconian measures to end the shut down. Trump seems to be in the driver’s seat.
Yes, he seem to be working according to plan and US country level “elites” don’t even realize that they are headed into a trap. As was said many times – reformatting of US is coming fairly soon. We should not think that it is done in favor of common ordinary people. Both opposing parties (global “elites” and US country level elites) are anti human. https://youtu.be/3yW2dHAbBJo
Thanks for the video, what is his definition of level elites?
There’s a large body of theoretical work called “Concept of Public Safety”. According to their view globalization as an organized process started thousands of years ago. To oversimplify: If we use movie production as metaphor (describing the world) than script writers are in Switzerland, movie directors are in City of London and actors (lowest in hierarchy) are in Washington. Country level elites are nothing more than actors serving the global script. US had a role of world policeman – center of power concentration, but according to plan this center is being transferred to China (ongoing for many years but lately it’s becoming visible to general public).
The Russian debates always have a higher intellectual level than western sh.t media.
France,Britain, Germany and Israel should be include in INF talks because their are also having bulk of nuclear weapons and dangerous missiles.
First, Mexico and Poland are NOT the same thing. Second, We have the right to have our INF opinion, and Russia has the right to have YOUR opinion. Third, We are not moving toward downfall because EU says they are happy to get tactical nukes.
Now Russia should answer the question why all Europe are happy to get tactical US nukes that can reach Moscow. THIS Russia should answer on first!!
“First, Mexico and Poland are NOT the same thing.” Let me put it simply for you, dear. Mexico = Poland = neighbouring states to US/RF. Geddit?
You can have any opinion that you like without any evidence (that is called religion), but facts are based on evidence. That is EVIDENCE. Did the US withdraw from the ABM treaty or not? Perhaps you have a different version of your anti-Russian RACIST religion that claims that it was RF that withdrew from the ABM treaty?
“Now Russia should answer the question why all Europe are happy to get tactical US nukes that can reach Moscow.” No doubt that the corrupt European elite can be bought by the US to do its bidding, but the Plebs will eventually chop their heads off, as in 1789, if they have time before WW3 starts. Micron of France is already on notice.
Now, how would you like RF to arm NK with proper nukes and arm the Mexican drug cartels with mini nukes that can easily be smuggled across the porous US-Mexican border? Fancy the “Moolahs” of Iran armed with ICBMs that can reach US cities in minutes? Delicious menu to total mutually assured destruction, T-MAD!
Two can play this STUPID game, dear! World domination was game played by Nazis in WW2. Same old Nazis in the US Evil Empire (USEE).
Its about those colonies should be kept independent even taken twice by the Russians. Its their border too.
Before that many small countries around the Baltic see traded with each other and even very different shared culture as well.
This is about the rest of Europe and making the not walled parts into te world economics too. Thats gives us and them orogress, even they has too many rusty parts.
Putting Mexico into that is pathetic. Its ignored that USA was withdrawing many, many troops until KGB certainly got very agressive and seemes to stay so. We can onlyy see, the Russians want deep domination again but has little for even the stupidists in Ukraine.