US threat to ditch INF part of plan to contain Russia: Analyst
US President Donald Trump’s threat to abandon the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) with Russia is part of Washington’s grand plan to contain Moscow, says an American academic.
Dennis Etler, a former professor at Cabrillo College in California, said Russia posed a serious challenge to America’s political and economic dominance and this has been a source of concern for US officials.
“The US is not interested in seeking peace with Russia or any other nation that challenges its full spectrum dominance,” he told Press TV. “It only wants to lord over and bully any foreign power that stands on its own two feet and attempts to protect its own vital national interests.”
The Soviet-era treaty bans the two sides from developing land-based missile systems ranging from 310 to 3,400 miles. It also requires both sides to remove all INF systems from Europe.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned in late December that his country will be left with no choice but to adopt “tit-for-tat” measures if Washington goes ahead with the plan to kill a key Cold War-era arms control treaty and deploys new missiles in Europe.
He also blasted European countries for voting on December 21 against a Moscow-drafted UN General Assembly resolution aimed at preserving the INF.
Etler said the European Union and the NATO military alliance were not expected to stop Washington because they were “simply US stooges that dance to Uncle Sam’s tune.”
“The US threat to abrogate the INF treaty and redeploy intermediate range missiles in Europe is part of its forward power projection to intimidate and contain Russia,” the analyst said.
Etler noted that instead of leaving the deal Trump could easily resolve his issues through the Treaty’s preexisting Special Verification Commission.
“But rather than negotiate whatever disputes may have occurred the US has threatened to withdraw from the treaty, forcing Russia to respond in kind,” he said.
Earlier in December, Russian President Vladimir Putin said the US was making nuclear war more likely by threatening to leave the INF, warning that his country could easily develop and deploy land-based intermediate-range missiles should Washington act on its threat.
“The US will do whatever it wants without regard for international norms or law to get its way,” Etler argued. “It’s time for the nations and people of the world to say, enough is enough.”
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