Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev asked the US and Russia to start a serious conversation on nuclear weapons. Gorbachev expressed his concern after the US withdrawal from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty.
US Threatens Pre-Emptive Strikes on Russia For Breaking Missile Treaty
After the US decision to withdraw from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, Former President of the USSR, Mikhail S Gorbachev’s article published by Russian newspaper noted :“I regret that the tough domestic situation, which has been in place in the US over the recent years, has, in fact, resulted in disruption of dialogue between our two countries on all topics, including the nuclear weapons. It is time to get over the difficulties between the (US) political parties and start a serious conversation.”
“I am sure that Russia will be ready for it”, Gorbachev added.
The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces treaty is designed to minimize short-range missiles capable of striking up to 1,000 km and intermediate missiles capable of attacking up to 5,500 km.
Gorbachev explained the US withdrawal from the treaty in his words: “get rid of all the restrictions in the arms sphere and gain absolute military supremacy… to impose its will globally.”
“Nuclear war is unacceptable, there can be no winners. The treaty was a first step, followed by others (such as) the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) that had reduced the number of nuclear weapons in Russia and the US by more than 80 per cent,” the former Soviet President said.
Gorbachev said the de-escalation process not only affected nuclear weapons but also the removal of chemical weapons, while Eastern and Western European countries agreed on a radical reduction of armed forces and weapons. He also covered Russia’s stand as “an unambiguous position in favour of preserving the treaty”. He also stated that the US “refused to ratify the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty” as a result of this decision the Treaty on the Restriction of Anti-Ballistic Missile Systems (ABM) was also eliminated.
Meanwhile, Gorbachev embraced European efforts to save the treaty. The European Union has asked the US to think over the outcomes of withdrawing from the treaty for its own security, and security of the whole world.
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