Neo-Soviet Russia Voids the CFE
Filed under: Russia
We reported back at the end of April on Russian "President" Vladimir Putin's threats to unilaterally repudiate the Conventional Forces in Europe arms limitation treaty. At that time, the Russophile apologists for Russia said that Putin was only blowing off steam, that his remarks were for "domestic consumption," that Russia was merely "flexing its muscles." Russia wouldn't really go as far as to unilaterally withdraw from a major bulwark of stability in Europe.
Well, now Russia has actually done it. Do you dare to imagine how the world would react if President Bush took an action of this kind? Do you dare to imagine how the world would screech and wail about American arrogance and unilateralism? Hopefully, the reaction will be the same where Russia is concerned. A Washington Post story, quoting Russian analyst Pavel Felgenhaur, stated:
"This will be a major irritant. It will seriously spoil relations. The kind of soothing effect from the last summit with Putin and (President) Bush will evaporate swiftly," he said referring a summit between the leaders earlier this month at the Bush family home in Kennebunkport, Maine. Felgenhauer also said that there is no provision under the treaty for a moratorium, suggesting Russia was acting illegally. "This is basically non-compliance, and this is an illegal move," he said.
Let's not forget the basic reality: The US alone has an economy 12 times larger than Russia's and a military establishment as large as the next six largest countries combined. That's to say nothing of the NATO alliance countries,who are directly affected by this outrageous Russian provocation. It's as if Russia has decided to take a "do-over" on the Cold War, certain it can win "this time" and heedless of the stakes or the odds. We shouldn't be surprised by this, since Russia has, just like the USSR, virtually cut itself off from the flow of information about the real world by killing off journalists, shutting down publishing houses and obliterating opposition political groups. So, quite literally, it doesn't know what it's doing (just as the USSR didn't).
Welcome to Cold War, Part II. They said Russia "couldn't go back" to Soviet thinking. It happened. They said Russia wouldn't violate this treaty. It happened. Time to stop listening to what they say, isn't it?
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