Putin Slams Trump Regime’s INF Treaty Pullout: To Respond Tit for Tat
by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org - Home - Stephen Lendman)
On Wednesday, Vladimir Putin Vladimir Putin addressed Russia’s Federal Assembly, comprised of the nation’s upper house Federation Council and lower house State Duma.
Along with discussing domestic economic and social issues, he slammed the US, saying “(f)irst it started developing and using intermediate range missiles it deceitfully called targets for missile defenses.”
“Then it began to deploy the Mk-41 launchers in Europe, capable of using intermediate range cruise missiles Tomahawk for combat purposes.”
“By doing all this the United States blatantly ignored the provisions contained in articles 4 and 6 of the INF Treaty,” prohibiting its actions.
“This is a very serious threat to us. In this case, we will be forced — I want to emphasize this – forced to take tit-for-tat steps” to protect the nation’s security.
The Trump regime’s moves sparked a hugely dangerous new arms race, heightening the risk of East/West confrontation, the ominous possibility of unthinkable nuclear war, a doomsday scenario if launched by accident or design.
Challenges Russia faces are daunting, Putin explained, stressing they must be met with resolve, saying individuals who believe some things are ‘impossible, too difficult, the standards…too high,” and the government’s agenda (including defense of the homeland against foreign threats) ‘will not work’…had better stay away.”
Discussing Russia’s foreign policy priorities, Putin stressed the importance of “strengthening trust, countering global threats, promoting cooperation in the economy and trade, education, culture, science and technology, as well as facilitating people-to-people contact.”
He commented on Moscow’s strategic partnerships with China, Belarus, the Eurasian Economic Union, India, along with dialogue and economic cooperation with numerous other countries, including Association of Southeast Asian Nations member states.
He urged EU countries to restore normal political, economic and financial relations with Russia, a mutually beneficial step for both sides.
Addressing the Trump regime’s INF Treaty pullout, he explained that for years the US and other countries developed and produced short-and-intermediate nuclear capable ballistic and cruise missiles - “not Russia.”
Despite US-initiated Cold War 2.0 raging more dangerously than against Soviet Russia, Putin and other Russian officials persist in calling Washington Moscow’s “partner” - when nothing remotely suggests a partnership exists, just the opposite.
At the same time, he slammed the Trump regime, saying it “violate(s) everything, then…look(s) for excuses and appoint(s) a guilty party.”
For years before Trump’s pullout, the US began developing and producing missiles that violate INF provisions, Putin stressed, adding:
“Using medium-range target missiles and deploying launchers in Romania and Poland that are fit for launching Tomahawk cruise missiles, the US has openly violated these clauses of the Treaty. They did this some time ago. These launchers are already stationed in Romania and nothing happens.”
Russia will not deploy INF Treaty banned missiles in Europe preemptively following the Trump regime’s pullout, said Putin. “(W)e will be forced to respond with mirror or asymmetric actions.”
“Russia will be forced to create and deploy weapons that can be used not only in the areas we are directly threatened from, but also in areas that contain decision-making centers for the missile systems threatening us.”
“We know how to do this and will implement these plans immediately, as soon as the threats to us become real.”
Production of Russia’s Avanguard hypersonic glide vehicles began. Traveling at nine-times the speed of sound, they can carry multiple nuclear warheads, able to strike targets thousands of miles away with pinpoint accuracy – nothing the US or NATO has able to intercept them.
Tass earlier explained that these weapons are “capable of flying at hypersonic speed in the dense layers of the atmosphere, maneuvering by its flight path and its altitude and breaching any anti-missile defense” - to be delivered to Russia’s armed forces in early 2019.
“(T)he first regiment of the Strategic Missile Troops will be equipped with Avangard,” Putin explained, adding:
“The Sarmat super-heavy intercontinental missile of unprecedented power is undergoing a series of tests.”
“The Peresvet laser weapon and the aviation systems equipped with Kinzhal hypersonic ballistic missiles proved their unique characteristics during test and combat alert missions while the personnel learned how to operate them.”
“Next December, all the Peresvet missiles supplied to the Armed Forces will be put on standby alert. We will continue expanding the infrastructure for the MiG-31 interceptors carrying Kinzhal missiles.”
“The Burevestnik nuclear-powered cruise missile of unlimited range and the Poseidon nuclear-powered unmanned underwater vehicle of unlimited range are successfully undergoing tests.”
“(T)his spring the first nuclear-powered submarine carrying this unmanned vehicle will be launched. The work is going as planned.”
Putin discussed what he called another “promising innovation…successfully being developed” - the Tsirkon hypersonic missile able to strike targets up to 1,000 km away, “both under water and on the ground” with pinpoint accuracy. They can be launched from submarines or surface vessels.
The Pentagon and NATO have nothing to match most of these super-weapons, perhaps all of them more advanced than anything in the US arsenal.
Russia is the world’s dominant military power, no longer the US, the Kremlin’s superior super and other weapons developed and produced at a small fraction of what Washington spends.
It notoriously wastes countless trillions of dollars to enrich its military, industrial and security complex, making the world infinitely more unsafe than secure.
Putin concluded his lengthy address, saying US actions toward Russia “can hardly be called friendly,” ignoring its legitimate security, economic and other interests.
“(T)here is constant (US) anti-Russia campaigning, and more and more sanctions, which are illegal in terms of international law…imposed without any reason whatsoever,” adding:
“(W)e did nothing to provoke” US hostility. The post-Soviet era “international security architecture…is being completely and unilaterally dismantled…while referring to Russia as (virtually) the main threat to the USA” - a gross perversion of truth. Reality is the other way around.
Putin denied the obvious US Big Lie, stressing that Russia wants “sound, equal and friendly relations with the USA” and all other nations.
The Russian Federation “is not threatening anyone, and all we do in terms of security is simply a response, which means that our actions are defensive.”
“We are not interested in confrontation, and we do not want it, especially with a global power like the United States…”
Washington “continue(s) with (its) destructive and clearly misguided policy…It goes without saying that (US) decisions will prompt Russia to respond in order to ensure its security in a reliable and unconditional manner.”
“We continue developing our Armed Forces and improving the intensity and quality of combat training…Our efforts to enhance our defense capability are for only one purpose: to ensure the security of this country and our citizens so that nobody would even consider pressuring us, or launching an aggression against us.”
Russia seeks peace and stability worldwide, cooperative relations with other nations, and multi-world polarity.
Washington’s agenda is polar opposite, why the Kremlin continues developing its military capabilities to be able to counter hostile threats effectively.
Russia’s technologically advanced super-weapons are formidable enough to give US neocon hawks pause about attacking its heartland and strategic sites.
The response to US aggression would be swift and likely overwhelming, the US homeland attacked for the first time since its mid-19th century civil war, the consequences infinitely more destructive and devastating.
It’s why Russian super-weapons are a key deterrent to a US attack on its territory - yet by no means ruling out the possibility.
Decades after the 1962 missiles of October crisis, world tensions are heightened over the Trump regime’s INF Treaty pullout and likely deployment of nuclear capable short and/or intermediate-range missiles in Eastern Europe close to Russia’s border - forcing the Kremlin to respond defensively, increasing the risk of nuclear war.
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