Overview

The Russians are not our allies. They are not our friends and we certainly can't take them for their word. Exhibit A is the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, the INF, a treaty between the United States and Russia that places limits on ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges between 500 and 5,500 kilometers. The United States has held up our agreement in the treaty. It appears the Russians have not. According to press reports, the Russians have tested a ground-launched cruise missile from an operational launcher. Again, according to press reports, the administration, knew about the violation back in 2008. Russia has since undergone the most extensive nuclear modernization since the end of the Cold War, all without violating the New START treaty. We had a reason to be distrustful of the Russians when the New START went into effect in 2010 and we have more reasons today. Russia is willing to treat these treaties as less than binding when it suits them. That is not how treaties are supposed to work. Despite this, the administration has pledged to seek deeper cuts in nuclear arms.