April 26, 2007

SO?:

Putin gains a bargaining chip with suspension of treaty (C.J. Chivers, April 26, 2007, NY Times)

President Vladimir Putin announced on Thursday that Russia would suspend its compliance with a treaty on conventional arms in Europe that was forged at the end of the cold war. Putin said the Kremlin would use future compliance with the treaty as a bargaining point in the dispute with United States over American proposals to install missile defenses in Europe.

Putin's announcement, made in his annual address to Parliament, underscored the Kremlin's anger at the United States for proposing a new missile-defense system, which the Bush administration insists is meant to counter potential threats from North Korea and Iran.


The sorry state of his country guarantees all the compliance needed. No matter how tough the ant talks to the elephant, he's still just a bug.

Posted by Orrin Judd at April 26, 2007 11:58 AM
Comments

Russia would suspend its compliance with a treaty on conventional arms in Europe that was forged at the end of the cold war.

The cold war is over, the treaty was between the West and an entity called the Soviet Union. There is no Soviet Union, there is no treaty. Anyway, does it mean Russia is going to attack Europe now because there is no treaty? Or, does it mean Putin is inventing a "crisis" situation to better suspend the Russian constitution, to stay as strong man for life? He doesn't need a third term if his second term never ends.

Posted by: ic at April 26, 2007 1:23 PM

Again, please put Russia into another arms race with the west, Mr. Putin. Please engage Russia in this so that your economy can implode again and Russia have little resources it can expend for mischief elsewhere. Please force Europe to band together against a threat it does fear and re-arm.

Please do this.

Posted by: Mikey [TypeKey Profile Page] at April 27, 2007 6:27 AM
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