Posted on 04/27/2007 2:39:10 AM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
Putin threatens Russian pull-out from landmark arms treaty
by Nick Coleman
Thu Apr 26, 12:19 PM ET
President Vladimir Putin on Thursday threatened Russian withdrawal from a landmark Cold War-era arms treaty in a heightening of tensions over a planned US missile defence system in Europe.
In response to Putin's threat, the NATO military alliance reaffirmed its commitment to the Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE) treaty.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has meanwhile rebuffed Russian criticism of Washington's missile defence plans as "ludicrous."
And Czech President Vaclav Klaus, whose country is set to host part of system, flew to Moscow on a visit mainly aimed at calming the missile defence row.
Making his last state of the nation speech in Moscow, Putin said Russia could pull out of the 1990 CFE treaty until all of NATO's current members ratified it.
"It would be appropriate to announce a moratorium on Russian adherence ... until it has been ratified by all NATO countries without exception," Putin said.
Putin said Washington was exploiting difficulties with the CFE to expand missile defence facilities into central Europe.
"Our partners are conducting themselves inappropriately to say the least," he said.
"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."
The CFE treaty was signed in 1990 by the countries of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the former Warsaw Pact to limit military hardware in the region.
It was adapted in Istanbul in 1999 following the collapse of the Warsaw Pact, in order to limit deployments on a country-by-country basis.
But NATO states have refused to ratify the new pact on the grounds that Moscow has failed to honour commitments made in Istanbul to withdraw Russian forces from the ex-Soviet republics of Georgia and Moldova.
Putin's insistence that all countries ratify the CFE appeared particularly aimed at the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, which were once part of the Soviet Union and are not part of the treaty.
Putin insisted there was no connection between ratification and the issue of Russian troops in Georgia and Moldova, which he said Moscow was working to resolve anyway.
An unnamed Kremlin official was quoted by Russian news agencies as saying that Russia wanted Western countries to ratify the revised treaty within a year.
Ahead of a NATO-Russia meeting in Oslo, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier voiced concern at the tensions -- reflecting Berlin's ties with both Washington and Moscow.
"It's important to prevent a spiral of mistrust between Russia and the United States," Steinmeier said.
But speaking to reporters in Oslo, Rice was sharply critical of Russia's stance on Washington's missile defence plans, which involve placing a radar system in Poland and interceptor rockets in the Czech Republic.
Washington says the missile shield is not aimed against Russia but intended to protect against countries such as Iran and North Korea.
"The idea that somehow 10 interceptors and a few radars in eastern Europe are going to threaten the Soviet strategic return is clearly ludicrous and everybody knows it," Rice said.
"The idea that somehow you can stop the Russian strategic nuclear deterrent with a few interceptors just doesn't make sense," she said.
NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said the alliance remained committed to ratifying the adapted CFE treaty but said that the issue of Russian troops in Georgia and Moldova remained a hurdle.
The testy rhetoric reflected increasing tensions over NATO's enlargement into territory once part of the former Soviet Union and Washington's championing of countries such as ex-Soviet Georgia.
Arriving in Moscow on a four-day visit, the Czech president told ITAR-TASS news agency that Russia had been been kept fully informed of the missile defence plans and that they posed no threat.
He also told Kommersant newspaper there was little chance of Prague pulling out of negotiations with Washington on Czech involvement.
"The Czech Republic has started negotiations on deployment of a radar and I don't see them being revised," he said.
Which makes it none of your business Vlad. Sit down and STFU.
L
Russian national socialists very much want to conquer the Czech Republic and Poland again.
“Moving out from Europe. Would like to buy property in Oceania, away from any military installations. Small cottage will do.”
Anyone who believes putin will relenquish the reins of power next year is a fool. He may not be president but he’ll step into the position of head of secret police and still essentially be the boss.
what happened to his soul since it was viewed last time?
Good pull out of it. We will just start producing more nuclear weapons.
“The idea that somehow 10 interceptors and a few radars in eastern Europe are going to threaten the Soviet strategic return is clearly ludicrous and everybody knows it,” Rice said. ==
Rice is too cunning here:). 10 interceptor may become 100 if you have the infrastructure and logistics in place.
Russian national socialists very much want to conquer the Czech Republic and Poland again.==
No I think not. Let them buy Russian oil and gas in full price instead:)..
Um, no. They can only become 100 if 100 are shipped in. They don't grow on trees.
If you knew how many ICBMs Russia has you know how stupid their argument is.
And if you are aware of how many ICBMs they have, then you are brushing up on your propaganda. You didn't once work for Krasnaya Zvezda, did you?
We should smuggle suitcase nukes into Moscow to overcome their ABM system. Putin clearly has not abandoned the cold war, and if it’s a war he wants then it’s war he shall have.
Let THEM buy norwegian and caspian oil... oh gee, Russia’s economy is dependant on oil??
damn your’re dead if oil price descends...
such a big country with oil-dependant economy... it’s like pulling a trigger of a gun, stick to your head... more and more every second...
It’ll survive for 10 maybe 15 years... it’ll end just like USSR, but by then Poland and Czech Republic will be much closer US
Man get over it... Russia is no match for any developed country
The Poles and Chechs are already paying market prices for their energy.
I also doubt that it is a good idea to install those systems against the will of mother Russia. Putin i.e. could export a significant number of S300 missles to Iran just to provoke America and President Bush. This would change completely the strategic situation and could make any attack on the Iranian nuclear facillities a complete nightmare.
The West needs Russia. Therefore such attitude against them is contraproductive.
Um, no. They can only become 100 if 100 are shipped in. They don’t grow on trees.
If you knew how many ICBMs Russia has you know how stupid their argument is. ==
I know it is about 3000+. BUT.. Those interceptors are needed just for fencing out the Russian RETRIBUTION strike.
So after the NATO first strike Russia will have the few hundreds warheads left. SO at this time those interceptors will play thier role.
The Poles and Chechs are already paying market prices for their energy. ==
And let them pay in in forseeable future:). I just answered to some guy who told that we want them to “occupy”. We Do NOT since we would give them the energy for free if we “occupied” them. SO today situation is the best for Russia except NATO installs new weapon system aganist us. If not then everything could be perfect. Now Russia needs to spend some money to counterbalance new threats. Accually it is the westren money taken from you as the payments. SO we will stop buy Checkh beer as polish meat. I won’t suffer since I drink Levenbrau:).
Ivan we have never seen eye to eye on numerous issues and have traded verbal barbs but let me ask you a few things in all seriousness.We know for a fact that Iran will have nuclear weapons soon(russia is even helping them with the nuclear reactors) and a long range missile will be able to hit mainland europe within a few years. This puts NATO countries and US forces in the region at risk of nuclear blackmail or a first strike by a radical islamic terrorist supporting nation. Poland is the best strategic place geographically for interceptors if you look at a ballistic missile flight path to europe.Why does russia not want us to protect ourselves? We are not planning to attack russia. Stop being so paranoid. You are all pushing us to another cold war and possibly worse as putin continues to threaten. Do you seriously long for a day like this when the world as we know it would end? No one will win this.Watch this.
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/503598/the_end/
Why does russia not want us to protect ourselves? We are not planning to attack russia. ==
Iran is just the pretension it doesn’t have no long range missiles and won’t have in near future. If you want to cover up Iran you should put the interceptors in Turkey or Georgia.
Putin continues to repeat that “those interceptors are for the fencing the Russian “retribution” answer”.
He states that NATO may attack Russian FIRST then try to defend herself againt the weaked russian answer with those interceptors. He states that 10 it is only for today and tomorrow it will 100 or more. If all infrastructure in place it will be doing easy.
For defense againt Russian first strike those even 100+ interceptors are useless. But if you prepare to the first strike on Russian nuclier forces then those interceptors will be handy to fend off the weakeed answer.
The total majority of Russians beleive Putin since he is the president of Russia and has in possesions the intelegence data to support his opinions.
Russia cann’t definely stop this development but she can prepare herself. It is not Cold war since Russia doesn’t want to dominate but she wants not to be blackmailed by NATO. “If you want peace then prepare to war” - old wisdom.
“If you want peace then prepare to war”
I agree with this statement. It was the romans who coined it and is one of the US militaries mottos. ;)
Unfortuantely they'll fly a polar route nowhere near Eastern Europe.
Nice theory though.
Those interceptors are needed just for fencing out the Russian RETRIBUTION strike.
Unfortuantely they’ll fly a polar route nowhere near Eastern Europe.
Nice theory though.
==
On the polar route America is putting the interceptors too(Alaska and Greenland). So 2 possible directions (the polar route and europian route) are covered.
So unfortunately that is not theory but the hided intentions. NATO wants the military advantage.
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