Russia Withdraws From Arms Treaty In Europe

Vladimir Putin announced that Russia was "suspending" participation in the Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE) Treaty today purportedly in response to US plans to deploy 10 anti-ballistic missiles in Poland. Even the British press isn't buying that excuse.

Announcing a suspension of Moscow’s participation in the Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE) Treaty, president Vladimir Putin accused the United States of a plot to build up its military forces on Russia’s western borders.

“Our partners are conducting themselves incorrectly to say the least, gaining one-sided advances,” Mr Putin said in his annual state-of-the-nation address.

“They are using the complicated situation to expand military bases near our borders. Moreover they plan to locate elements of a missile defence system in the Czech Republic and Poland.”

Already strained relations between the two Cold War superpowers deteriorated markedly when the Pentagon announced plans to deploy 10 interceptor missiles in Poland and a radar system in the Czech Republic…….

…….Analysts suggested there was a certain amount of posturing in Mr Putin’s speech.

Already regarded as an energy superpower, Russia is desperate to be taken seriously as a military power, too. Defence spending has quadrupled since Mr Putin came to power in 2000, and an ambitious strategy to modernize the military was announced last year, including plans to develop a new generation of ballistic missiles capable of breaching US defences.

With these grandiose plans under his belt, Mr Putin is aggrieved that he is not being given the respect he feels he deserves by the United States, analysts say.

Washington has dragged its feet on Russian proposals for a new bilateral treaty on reducing nuclear weapons, similar to those signed during the Cold War, which would give Mr Putin enormous domestic prestige.

“The aim is not to secure the country against an unexpected US attack, but to demonstrate that Russia is a worthy partner of the world’s most powerful state,” said Alexander Golts, a military analyst in Moscow.

Putin appears to be bothered by the fact that Russia is not the number one concern of the US any longer. So we have an authoritarian, mafia-style kleptocracy with an inferiority complex. And there is surprise that Russia is blocking any real progress at stopping Iran's nuclear weapons program? The argument that Putin puts forward is absurd on its face. Ten missiles will have zilch chance of stopping all of Russia's missiles and Moscow knows it. The anti-missile shield is meant for stopping Iran. The Russians always had more warheads than the US - putting together warheads was like a hobby for the soviets. They always counted on massive overkill because the accuracy of their delivery systems could not match what the US had. But if Europe caves, they will be completely at the mercy of the Iranians very shortly.