News   /   Interviews

Russia, China prepared to respond in case of new arms race; Analyst

Political analyst James George Jatras

Russia and China are prepared to respond to any US action in case a new arms race begins as a result of President Donald Trump pulling the United States out of a landmark arms control treaty with Moscow, says a political analyst.

On August 2, the United States said it was withdrawing from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, blaming Russia for the Cold War-era treaty's collapse. 

"Russia is solely responsible for the treaty's demise," US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement then, announcing Washington's withdrawal.

"With the full support of our NATO allies, the United States has determined Russia to be in material breach of the treaty, and has subsequently suspended our obligations under the treaty," he added.

James George Jatras, a former US Senate foreign policy analyst, told Press TV Friday that “it’s clear that there is going to be a new arms race now that Russia and China are in position to respond to US actions and are doing so.”

“I think this is very much destabilizing to the whole world, maybe of benefits to certain individuals or certain companies,” he added.

Jatras made the remarks when asked about the Russian envoy to the United Nations who said Thursday the world was on the verge of a new arms race.

Deputy Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Dmitry Polyanskiy made the warning at the emergency session of the Security Council - requested by Russia and China - as the US has already started the test launch of a formerly banned missile.

He said Washington's testing of a ground-launched missile earlier this week shows that the Trump administration “is ready for an arms race."

“Are you aware of the fact that all of us have found ourselves just one step away from an uncontrolled arms race, because of the US geopolitical ambitions?” said Polyanskiy.

The Pentagon said on Monday that it had test launched a conventionally configured cruise missile with a range of more than 500 Kilometers, the first such test since the US withdrawal from the INF.

The INF, signed by then-US President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, banned land-based missiles with a range of between 500 to 5,500 kilometers.


Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.ir

SHARE THIS ARTICLE
Press TV News Roku