Russia Prepares to Outline Terms for Withdrawal from Treaty; White House Says Nothing Unusual About That
EmailThe nuclear disarmament treaty between the US and Russia hasn't even been signed, but Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday said Russia would soon outline the terms for possible withdrawal from it.
"Russia will have the right to opt out of the treaty if … the U.S. strategic missile defense begins to significantly affect the efficiency of Russian strategic nuclear forces," Lavrov said, according to the Associated Press.
White House officials downplayed the comments.
“There’s nothing newsworthy here,” said one senior administration official. “Any nation reserves the right to pull out of a treaty.”
Another senior administration official said that “all treaties have such provisions,” and noted that President Bush used that prerogative to get out of the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty.
US plans for missile defense were a sticking point in negotiations over the new treaty. After initially agreeing to separate the issue from negotiations over nuclear weapons and launchers, Russia in recent months pushed to include the missile defense system in the treaty. It got to the point that, as first reported by ABC News, President Obama threatened to walk away.
Ultimately Russian president Dmitri Medvedev blinked, and the treaty will be signed Thursday in Prague, the Czech Republic.
Lavrov said today that Russia had “noted that the U.S. (missile defense) system won't have a strategic capacity in its early stages. We shall see what will happen next. When and if this system gets a strategic capacity, we shall see whether it creates risks for our strategic nuclear forces."
-jpt
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Correct. This is not unusual at all. Simply another Russian win before the game even begins.
Posted by: Nyet | April 6, 2010, 12:20 pm 12:20 pm
Downplayed? Time to hit the showers, Barry!
Posted by: Vlad | April 6, 2010, 12:36 pm 12:36 pm
Kinda reminds me of his baseball game.
Posted by: Jeff | April 6, 2010, 12:43 pm 12:43 pm
Isn’t this treaty Obama’s biggest foreign policy success?
Posted by: Foghorn Leghorn | April 6, 2010, 12:51 pm 12:51 pm
I see Russia’s word is about as dependable as Obama’s word.
Obama is Russia’s useful idiot.
I’m sure Putin and Chavez shared a big laugh at Obama’s gullibleness, and how far the USA has fallen under him.
Posted by: hank | April 6, 2010, 12:52 pm 12:52 pm
I’m not sure what is accomplished by this new START treaty with Russia. We don’t seem to have gained anything from it. Coupled with today’s announcement that the USA won’t use nuclear weapons in retaliation to an attack upon us or our allies, certainly sends a very strong message of weakness to North Korea and Iran.
Posted by: j011254 | April 6, 2010, 1:10 pm 1:10 pm
Obama only bullies and berates our allies. With Russia, China, Iran he’s a meek little kitty cat.
Meow
Posted by: mick | April 6, 2010, 1:18 pm 1:18 pm
500+/- nuclear arms per side would be enough for mutually assured destruction. Anything over that is a waste of taxpayer money to maintain.
Posted by: goreshade | April 6, 2010, 1:27 pm 1:27 pm
Kind of like Obamacare.
Read the fine print and it doesn’t sound so good.
But Obama and his MSM lapdogs declared the treaty a huge victory
Will they report the fine print?
Posted by: mick | April 6, 2010, 1:30 pm 1:30 pm
“There’s nothing newsworthy here,” said one senior administration official. “Any nation reserves the right to pull out of a treaty.”
Amazing…
Russia can withdraw from a signed treaty due to something they don’t agree with. But a citizen of the United States of America cannot withdraw from buying health insurance without paying a penalty even though they didn’t even sign the healthcare ‘treaty’. Does this make sense?
Posted by: Shoe | April 6, 2010, 1:33 pm 1:33 pm
“. . . all treaties have such provisions,” and noted that President Bush used that prerogative to get out of the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty.”
Posted by: tierra | April 6, 2010, 2:24 pm 2:24 pm
I actually think this is great news!! Even all of former President Bush’s critics said they did feel safer against foreign attack under his administration. Now that B. Hussein Obama has compromised our security, Democrat moms, old folks and undecideds will vote him out of office.
Just a matter of time.
Posted by: jusbpatient | April 6, 2010, 3:08 pm 3:08 pm
“When They Drop the Bomb” – Boner Hamilton
Posted by: Noz | April 6, 2010, 3:57 pm 3:57 pm
Why do the Cheney neo-cons keep protecting this fake “missile defense’? It is a failed technology which only fools us into thinking we can stop a nuclear missile. The Russians have the right idea.
And don’t let the GOP hold up this treaty in the Senate, and deny our President and the world a brilliant success.
Posted by: Code Pink | April 6, 2010, 5:25 pm 5:25 pm
Even all of former President Bush’s critics said they did feel safer against foreign attack under his administration.
_____________________________________
Are you kidding me? North Korea tested their first nuclear weapon under Bush. Iran developed a secret nuclear facility under Bush. Bin Laden and al Qaeda escaped in Afghanistan under Bush – and the Taliban regrouped in Afghanistan under Bush.
Any illusion you have of Bush as the all-powerful warrior/protector is just that – illusion.
Posted by: tierra | April 6, 2010, 6:28 pm 6:28 pm
“and the Taliban regrouped in Afghanistan under Bush.” – tierra the koolaid kid
Ha ha ha ha : o )
Gee, I wonder what made them have to “re”-group.
Posted by: Noz | April 7, 2010, 12:53 pm 12:53 pm