U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev signing the INF Treaty in the East Room at the White House in 1987.
On March 25, 2014 Congressman Ted Poe of Texas asked for and was granted permission to address the United States House of Representatives for one minute regarding an alleged violations by Russia with regard to intermediate nuclear forces treaty:
“Mr. Speaker, the Napoleon of Siberia has launched cold war II. He seems to be on a mission to restore the Soviet empire. He invaded Georgia, then Ukraine. He seized Crimea. Putin’s next target? Well, no one knows.
However, quietly, behind the scenes, Putin seems to be resurrecting a cold war nuclear program in violation of the 1987 INF Treaty with the United States.
Mr. Speaker, what good is a nuclear treaty if not all sides abide by it? Will Russia’s cheating start a 21st century arms race?
Representatives Mike Rogers, Joe Heck, and I have introduced a resolution stating that the Russians have violated the treaty and there must be consequences. Russia cheats on treaties, invades other nations, and we basically watch and talk and say that just isn’t nice.
The President said of treaties in 2009: “Rules must be binding. Violations must be punished. Words mean something.”
However, as my grandfather used to say: “When all is said and done, more is said than done.”
What are the consequences for Russian violation of the INF Treaty? We shall see”, aid Rep. Ted Poe (source: Congressional Record http://thomas.loc.gov ).
The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) is a 1987 agreement between the United States and the Soviet Union. Signed in Washington, D.C. by U.S. President Ronald Reagan and General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev on December 8, 1987, it was ratified by the United States Senate on May 27, 1988 and came into force on June 1 of that year. The treaty is formally titled The Treaty Between the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on the Elimination of Their Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range Missiles.
The treaty eliminated nuclear and conventional ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles with intermediate ranges, defined as between 500-5,500 km (300-3,400 miles).
An investigation reveals that the US has also violated agreements in this regard. A fact Rep. Poe conveniently left out of his address to Congress.
See article: U.S. violating START treaty provision forbidding the build up of missile defense systems that threatens the potential of Russian strategic nuclear forces. Read more here: https://groundreport.com/u-s-violating-start-treaty-provision-forbidding-the-build-up-of-missile-defense-systems-that-threatens-the-potential-of-russian-strategic-nuclear-forces/
See also article: Russia’s “asymmetrical response” to US missile defense shield. Read more here: http://www.examiner.com/article/russia-s-asymmetrical-response-to-us-missile-defense-shield