AntiWar.com & AAP & The Express – 2017-04-30 23:59:35
Russia: US Missile Deployments in Poland, Romania Violate Arms Treaty
Russia: US Missile Deployments
In Poland, Romania Violate Arms Treaty
Jason Ditz / AntiWar.com
(April 30, 2017) — Russia’s Foreign Ministry has issued a statement this weekend warning that US deployments of $800 million worth of missile defense system into Poland and Romania amount to a “gross violation” of the Intermediate Forces Nuclear Treaty, which the US and Soviet Union reached in the 19800s.
The US has long tried to dismiss this complaint by insisting that the missile defense system wasn’t targeting Russia, long presenting it as aimed at Iran, despite being wholly outside of the range of even Iran’s most advanced missiles. Russian officials say the letter of the treaty is very clear, and the deployments amount to an attempt to weaken the Russian arsenal.
The US has accused Russia of violating the treaty with its own deployments of missiles in recent years, though as yet it appears unclear if the Russian missiles are nuclear-armed, and some have indicated that Russia has attempted to stay just barely within the terms of the treaty, while trying to counterbalance the US deployments.
This has been a recurring problem with modernizing the nuclear treaties, as the territory split in Europe is vastly different than it was during the Cold War, and the US has sought to outright avoid any deal, which puts the missile defense systems explicitly within the treaties’ attempts to ensure a balance of force.
Russia Says US Missiles Violate Treaty
AAP
(April 30, 2017) — A US deployment of ballistic missile defense systems in Romania and plans to place more defense systems in Poland violate an existing arms treaty, Russia’s foreign ministry says.
The US switched on an $800 million ($A1.1 billion) missile shield in Romania nearly a year ago and was planning to create another site in Poland, seeing it as vital to defend itself and Europe from so-called rogue states.
In 2016, the Kremlin said it was aimed at blunting its own nuclear arsenal.
The foreign ministry said on Saturday the plans violated the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Force Treaty (INFT), signed by Washington and the Soviet Union in the late 1980s in an attempt to eliminate nuclear and conventional short-and intermediate range missiles.
“The undeniable fact is that this is a gross violation of the INFT obligations,” the ministry said on its website.
Russia Accuse Trump of ‘Violating Arms Treaty’
With US Missile Systems in Romania and Poland
Aletha Adu / The Express
LONDON (April 30, 2017) — Moscow claims the US has violated the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Force Treaty (INFT) signed by Washington and the Soviet Union in the late 1980s.
The treaty was initiated to eliminate nuclear and conventional short-and-intermediate range missiles and was believed to be a turning point in relations between Russia and the US.
However, the former soviet state said America’s deployment of the Aegis Ashore ballistic missile system in Romania and their plans to place more defence systems in Poland would violate it.
In a statement, the Russian foreign ministry said: “Washington is providing deliberately false information about its ‘fulfilment’ of obligations under the INF treaty. For years, the United States has been simply ignoring Russia’s serious concerns.”
The US switched on a £61.7million ($800 million) missile shield in Romania nearly a year ago and was planning to create another site in Poland.
Washington believes the system is vital to defend itself and Europe from so-called rogue states. In response, last year the Kremlin said it was aimed at blunting its own nuclear arsenal.
Russia’s Foreign ministry statement added: “The undeniable fact is that this is a gross violation of the INFT obligations.
The accusations come months after the US accused the former soviet state of deploying a cruise missile in violation of the INFT.
The US Joint Chiefs of Staff Vice Chairman General Paul Selva said Russia’s move posed a “risk to most of our [America’s] facilities in Europe”.
But on Friday, tensions soared as one of Vladimir Putin’s top defence ministers, Frants Klintsevich, said Russia will provide an explosive response if the US decides to use any of its nuclear weapons.
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