Arkin is never really reliable. During the first Reagan Administration he pushed (Soviet supplied I suspect) a narrative that the administration was trying secretly to provoke a nuclear war with the USSR. I do not know who he is working for now, possibly the Russian Federation, whose crypto diplomacy agencies continue many Soviet practices. In short, without some good verification, Arkin is someone who should always be viewed sceptically.
Look up veteran far-left William Arkin’s background, in part, at WWW.keywiki.net or .org and www.DiscoverTheNetworks.org. Arkin is America’s enemy.