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From Reuters
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia is ready to discuss mutual inspections with the United States in order to save the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty, RIA news agency cited Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs as saying on Friday.
Last week Washington said Russia must scrap its 9M729 nuclear-capable cruise missiles and launchers or modify the weapons’ range to return to compliance to the Cold War-era arms control treaty.
COMMENT:-
Since the US position is currently (essentially) "We get to do all of the inspections to verify your compliance with the treaty and you have to take our word for what we are doing without the right to conduct any inspections to verify it." while the Russian position is (essentially) "Neither one of us has to accept the unsupported word of the other with respect to compliance and both of us should have the right of inspection in order to verify what the other one is saying.", the question of who is getting whom to the bargaining table gets rather interesting.
It appears that Mr. Trump is being offered the choice of publicly picking between saying "In the interests of world peace and safety we are delighted to agree to mutual inspections to ensure open and honest compliance." or (in effect) "Screw you, we're **A*M*E*R*I*C*A** and we can do any damn thing we damn well feel like doing." - at least that's the way it's going to be sold to the public.
Russia ready to discuss inspections with U.S. on arms treaty: RIA
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia is ready to discuss mutual inspections with the United States in order to save the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty, RIA news agency cited Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs as saying on Friday.
Last week Washington said Russia must scrap its 9M729 nuclear-capable cruise missiles and launchers or modify the weapons’ range to return to compliance to the Cold War-era arms control treaty.
COMMENT:-
Since the US position is currently (essentially) "We get to do all of the inspections to verify your compliance with the treaty and you have to take our word for what we are doing without the right to conduct any inspections to verify it." while the Russian position is (essentially) "Neither one of us has to accept the unsupported word of the other with respect to compliance and both of us should have the right of inspection in order to verify what the other one is saying.", the question of who is getting whom to the bargaining table gets rather interesting.
It appears that Mr. Trump is being offered the choice of publicly picking between saying "In the interests of world peace and safety we are delighted to agree to mutual inspections to ensure open and honest compliance." or (in effect) "Screw you, we're **A*M*E*R*I*C*A** and we can do any damn thing we damn well feel like doing." - at least that's the way it's going to be sold to the public.