Russia to temporarily withdraw from Treaty on Conventional Forces in Europe

[Ecthy]

All this "liberal" thinking of nowadays is killing a lot of common sense. How would Russia not be concerned with NATO "defense" plots if those would actually hamper Russia's defense abilities in a scenario ofa lost MAD structure? But then some people just like to make big words, see Eremetri, VJ, DinoDoc

[Winston]

According to Russian news agencies, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said today that Russia would not leave the CFE treaty ahead of next week's meeting of the signatories in Vienna.

"The question as to whether Russia will withdraw from the treaty will not be brought up", Lavrov was quoted as saying regarding the Vienna meeting.

So, as most reasonable people had already guessed, all just a matter of posturing. What will they think of next? The world eagerly awaits..

[ldeska]

Those warnings from Putin are clearly for domestic politics purposes - no one in Western Europe takes in seriously, but I think that we should.
The funny thing is that Russia already pointed it's warheads on Western Europe - something like 40 years ago I think. They pointed them on our Polish cities as well, when only we joined NATO - in 1999, so when they now say that whey will point them on us, it's simply funny.
Maybe someone from Russia will finally explain why a defensive weapon like this disputed Anti-Missile Shield poses a threat to anyone?

[DRoseDARs]

I have long-viewed Putin's Russia as a whiny, insolent child state that throws tantrums just to get attention it doesn't get otherwise, but Putin isn't stupid. So why is it he thinks that a system which has proven again and again in rigged tests to be an utter failure is such a threat to Russia? I have to believe his protestations are, as others have said earlier, nothing more than for domestic consumption.

[Patroklos]

in rigged tests

All tests are rigged...

The system works for what it is supposed to do. That is the funny thing, the system is so mission specific and limited in capabilities that to even suggest it has anything to do with MAD balance is stupid.

Etchy, I am an IR/MA major to, you are going off the deep end with this.

[Pekka]

Irma is a girl's name in here. Most Irmas are ugly.

What is MA? I figure IR is international relations.

[Patroklos]

International Relations/Military Affairs.

[Japher]

Putin is just mad that if this system is put in place it might hinder him from attacking Europe... boo hoo!

[Ecthy]

I wasn't aiming at you Patroklos. For some people this stuff seems extremely simple which it isn't.

[Patroklos]

The overall situation is very complex, but Putin's reaction is not. I think people here are calling a spade a spade.

[Ecthy]

The thread was opened to discuss the "overall situation". I'm merely stating that a simplistic conclusion is insufficient.

Any new interesting stuff on the Jane's front? You should keep this place informed for free

[Patroklos]

Actually now that I am on shore duty, I don't have free access to the site

Thought about paying for it myself, I can go through that stuff for hours on end. Probably more constructive than drinking in the afternoon...

[PLATO]

With military expenditures reaching near all time lows (as a % of GNP) and the exiting of heavy manufaturing from the "Western Civilized nations", it is quite clear that the military/industrial complex needs a solid enemy to get the public behind massive defense spending. The terrorist do not supply a big enough threat and Iraq is looking too short term. Clearly Russia must become the enemy again. The economy demands it!

[Ecthy]

Erm.. yeah.

So how ridiculous are China's attempts at obtaining carriers? Do you share the War Nerd's interpretation that carriers are close to obsolete in the age of Exocet missiles?

[PLATO]

Originally posted by Ecthy
Do you share the War Nerd's interpretation that carriers are close to obsolete in the age of Exocet missiles?

Not as long the point defense weapons work properly.