(EDM) News about the United States’ decision to withdraw from the 1988 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty produced the predictable explosion of propaganda commentary in Moscow. But by the end of last week, the feigned outrage had expired, and some sober second thoughts emerged. The Russian top brass wanted out of this Cold War–era agreement for a long time, and the Kremlin only sought to push the blame for the inevitable breakdown on the US (see EDM, October 25). This intrigue has worked; but still, President Donald Trump’s declaration, at a rally in Nevada, about scrapping the INF caught President Vladimir Putin by surprise. Russia’s prepared response had barely started to unfold when the visit to Moscow of Trump’s National Security Advisor John Bolton forced a serious rethink in the Kremlin. […]
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