Trump has done it again. He has announced that US would be pulling out of Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty it had signed with Russia about 30 years ago. The treaty, signed in 1987 by Reagan and Gorbachev has been instrumental in de-nuclearisation and lack of armed conflict between Russia and Europe. The treaty bans ground-launch nuclear missiles with 500 to 5500 km range and has resulted in the elimination of almost 2700 such missiles.
Trump first pulled out of the Paris Climate Accord to the chagrin of much of the world, which has been looking at US to lead the way in protecting the environment. Then he pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal, under which Iran has agreed to halt its nuclear program and allow UN inspections. He then pulled out of NAFTA, the trade agreement US had with its North Atlantic neighbours -- Canada and Mexico. And now this. Trump is turning out to be the Serial Puller.
But why the INF? John Bolton, his current National Security Advisor, and other hawks in his administration have been drumming up the narrative that the Russia is already developing such nuclear weapons despite being a signatory to INF, waving some videos Putin put out last year showing missiles which defy physics and logic to go over or under any territory to hit enemy targets at great distances. They have also been pointing to the fact that China is also into similar projects, while the US is the only one keeping its side of the INF promise.
So Trump is saying enough is enough. While that reinforces his tough and muscular image with his base right before probably the most crucial mid-terms in US history, it also makes the industrial-military complex drool with the opening up of the biggest area in military expenditure for the foreseeable future.
But by triggering off and open race to more nuclear arms between the three biggest military nations, Trump may end up making the world the most dangerous it has been for decades. Another example of how heads of state are choosing tactical and short-term political and monetary gains at the cost of permanent long-term damage and danger to the people of the world.
It would be better if Trump, instead, pulled out of his multi-billion dollar deal with the rogue Saudi regime which butchered a well-known journalist, while displaying brazen arrogance that only countries which know Trump will back them anyways have been doing.
Trump first pulled out of the Paris Climate Accord to the chagrin of much of the world, which has been looking at US to lead the way in protecting the environment. Then he pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal, under which Iran has agreed to halt its nuclear program and allow UN inspections. He then pulled out of NAFTA, the trade agreement US had with its North Atlantic neighbours -- Canada and Mexico. And now this. Trump is turning out to be the Serial Puller.
But why the INF? John Bolton, his current National Security Advisor, and other hawks in his administration have been drumming up the narrative that the Russia is already developing such nuclear weapons despite being a signatory to INF, waving some videos Putin put out last year showing missiles which defy physics and logic to go over or under any territory to hit enemy targets at great distances. They have also been pointing to the fact that China is also into similar projects, while the US is the only one keeping its side of the INF promise.
So Trump is saying enough is enough. While that reinforces his tough and muscular image with his base right before probably the most crucial mid-terms in US history, it also makes the industrial-military complex drool with the opening up of the biggest area in military expenditure for the foreseeable future.
But by triggering off and open race to more nuclear arms between the three biggest military nations, Trump may end up making the world the most dangerous it has been for decades. Another example of how heads of state are choosing tactical and short-term political and monetary gains at the cost of permanent long-term damage and danger to the people of the world.
It would be better if Trump, instead, pulled out of his multi-billion dollar deal with the rogue Saudi regime which butchered a well-known journalist, while displaying brazen arrogance that only countries which know Trump will back them anyways have been doing.
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