Russia and the U.S. Withdrawal from the INF Treaty

One of Reagan's greatest accomplishments has outlived its usefulness.

by Rod D. Martin
November 20, 2018

Putin has a former Russian general pretending that our pulling out of the INF Treaty will spark a new Cuban Missile Crisis. This is a fairy tale for children (but when it comes to foreign policy, America has too many children, more than a few of whom inhabit official Washington).

Ten years ago, Russia's economy was the size of California's; now it's down to the size of Texas's, and shrinking. Russia can't afford a direct confrontation with the U.S., financially or militarily. It certainly has no intention of being reduced to glowing ash.

So what's this about?

Simple: it's about frightening the U.S. electorate into forcing Trump to back down on his threat to pull out of the INF Treaty.

And why is Trump making that threat? Because Russia is blatantly cheating on it, and has been since early in the Obama years.

Putin wants to be able to keep cheating. Trump called his bluff. So now Putin is desperate to...wait for it..."intervene in" U.S. politics (including …