The Washington Post reports that Russian “President Vladimir Putin signed a law Friday suspending Russia’s participation in a major conventional arms treaty that had limited NATO and Russian military deployments in Europe.”
As the WaPo points out, Moscow “had been threatening all year to scrap the Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) treaty.” Now Putin has carried out the threat. “The suspension takes effect Dec. 12.”
The accord in question “limited the number of tanks, combat aircraft and attack helicopters, as well as artillery pieces and other heavy weapons, that NATO and the Soviet Union could deploy in Western Europe and the western part of Russia.” Western Europe considers the treaty “a cornerstone agreement for maintaining security on the continent,” which once again shows that Western Europe truly doesn’t understand that the Kantian paradise stops where the EU stops. The outside world is Hobbesian. The law doesn’t rule there, power [might] does.
NATO also expressed regret: “We hope that the Russian Federation will not take any unilateral actions that undermine the integrity of the Treaty. Allies are looking forward to discussing the issue at the upcoming NATO-Russia Council meeting,” NATO spokesman James Appathurai said.
It seems likely to me that Russia will reconsider its decision if Western Europe - and the US - does something it shouldn’t do. We should not weaken ourselves. We’ve done that for too long already.
Hopefully, Putin’s decision will result in European conservatives calling for (and succeeding in) more defense spending. Europe should invest more anyway. It’s too ridiculous for words that it’s still necessary to have American troops stationed in our countries. We should be able to take care of ourselves. We’re rich enough to create strong armies. It’s all about priorities. Perhaps Putin’s move will force my fellow Europeans to get their priorities straight.
“It’s too ridiculous for words that it’s still necessary to have American troops stationed in our countries.
AND it’s too ridiculous for words that America is vilified for it. AND it’s too ridiculous for words that so many Europeans express outrage at the idea that they think America thinks it is some sort of lone wolf who can go it alone and police the world.
I wouldn’t hold your breath.
So what do you think of this Xel? They’re certainly closer to your neighborhood than the US is. Heck, maybe they’ll decide to take Sweden this time around.
Michael, in your next to last paragraph, the second sentence: don’t you want a “not” in there???
Why don’t you guys first ratify the treaty and then talk about cornerstones
the Treaty was ratified. You might want to check that. What you may possibly be referring to are amendments to the treaty. Amendments that the Russians have not fulfilled on their end. And according to the report - they have no intention on fully complying even if the amendments were ratified or not.
I am talking about Istanbul amendments to the CFE Treaty, which is what Russia is withdrawing from right now.
Russia has signed, ratified and fulfilled those. None of the NATO countries have ratified them and a fraction of NATO countries haven’t signed them.
Troops in Moldova and Georgia were NOT part of that agreement.
“they have no intention on fully complying even if the amendments were ratified or not” - this is just your opinion