INF withdrawal indicated Trump has no interest in nuclear arms control: Expert
America's announced withdrawal from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) with Russia indicates that US President Donald Trump has no interest in nuclear arms control, says a political analyst in California.
A US withdrawal will lead to nuclear proliferation and fuel a new arms race, said Dennis Etler, a former professor of Anthropology at Cabrillo College in Aptos, California.
“It should be clear to one and all that the US under the Trump administration has no interest in nuclear arms control,” Etler told Press TV on Thursday.
“Rather than seek avenues to reduce tensions and solve differences of opinion about adherence to the INF Treaty the US has opted to scuttle the treaty in opposition to the desire of other concerned nations,” he added.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Friday that Washington will suspend compliance with the INF treaty on Saturday and formally withdraw in six months if Moscow does not end its alleged violation of the pact.
The United States would reconsider its withdrawal if Russia came into compliance with the treaty, Pompeo told reporters at the State Department.
INF requires the US and Russia to eliminate all their nuclear and conventional missiles with ranges of 1,000–5,500 km (620–3,420 mi). It also bans either side from stationing short- and intermediate-range, land-based missiles in Europe.
The accord was signed towards the end of Cold War in 1987 between former US President Ronald Reagan and former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.
The US argues that Russia has jeopardized the treaty for years by deploying ground-launched missiles that fall within the banned range.
Russia has denied violating the agreement and has accused the US instead of breaking the deal, adding that a withdrawal from the accord would trigger an arms race
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin warned in December that Moscow will develop missiles currently banned under INF if the United States withdraws from the bilateral treaty.
“The US actions go against the trend of nations seeking to ban nuclear weapons entirely and impose stricter arms control,” Etler said. “Its intent is to unilaterally maintain and enhance its nuclear strike capacity rather than engage in multinational efforts to reduce nuclear arms in order to promote global peace and security.”
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