The Guardian and Russia gang up on the USA

by Michael Ehioze-Ediae.

The Guardian newspaper has reported that the Russians are unhappy about the USA’s missile defence  plans. According to senior sources in the Kremlin the move is likely to spark another arms race. Whilst the US has assured the Russians that the aim of the shield is to protect it from rogue states like Iran and North Korea, the Russians are convinced that the real targets of the shield are Russian and Chinese nuclear missiles.

The Kremlin has chosen to respond to the situation by changing ‘the world’s strategic stability’. It plans to build more ballistic missiles, increase the number of its mobile missile launchers and move its submarines to the North Pole where they are virtually undetectable.

The Kremlin’s Chief Spokesman has stated that Russia still believes that dialogue can help ease the rising tensions between both countries. This is despite the fact that the Russians have ruled out co-operation with the Americans on the missile defence issue. Further, the Russians allege that since the end of the Cold War, the US has not treated Russia as an equal partner.

The Kremlin and the Guardian newspaper always find it convenient to blame the US for the escalation of tensions. They are never willing to address the origins of the problem. The US decided to build this shield because of threats from North Korea and Iran: two countries which have defied the international community and which are closely aligned to the Russians. Russia also provides Iran with a significant amount of her weapons systems.

If the Russians want to be treated like an equal partner, they should behave like responsible members of the international community. It is unreasonable for them to keep accusing America of escalating tensions whilst they show little or no willingness to restrain their allies; Iran and North Korea.

Related link: Tories must be positive about 'Son of Star Wars'

Comments

[RobertSimpson]

An excellent article. The thought that the ABM systems of today could possibly hold back Russia's vast arsenal is absurd in any case, regardless of the true reasons the US is developing such defences.

If the Guardian would wake up to the fact that the Cold War is over, they might notice how self-centred the Kremlin's position is on this subject. US policy isn't just about them anymore. I suppose most Great Powers have this problem after they lose their pre-eminence. At least the US is sensible enough to push ahead anyway with missile defence. Pity Britain isn't joining them.

[JF]

This could be a welcome development. Restart the arms race and bankrupt Russia again, thus weakening one of Iran's, North Korea's, and the Arab World's largest sponsors.

[MikeA]

Russia's threats are just laughable.
Mobile missile launchers, er...even the US has moved from that and silo-based MX missiles, given the truly vast cost of mobile deployment.
Move their submaires to the North Pole where they are undetectable, er yeah right. Few Russian subs put to sea these days as they can barely afford to run them, and those that do are fairly easily tracked by British and American SSNs.
For dialogue read "treat us with respect as a proto-superpower rather than some oil-kleptocracy with a lot of rusting missiles" and "yes you can build some ABM systems but you must share the technology with us"...when hell freezes

[Richard]

Don't the Russians realise how ridiculous they sound? "How outrageous that the USA are trying to defend themselves!"

[AussieBum]

Putin also hates the fact that old satellite states like Poland and the Czech Republic are cooperating with the USA --- Iran's Great Satan.

[Steevo]

I keep thinking of the Guardian as Islamo-fascist lovers, but they're commie-lovers too.

[JF]

Steevo, not much difference between those two camps these days. George Galloway is the perfect evidence.

[Adam]

Is this supposed to be news? It has been one of the long-standing arguments against the Star Wars plan that it will cause this sort of response from the Russians and the Chinese.

What should really alarm us is whether we are eroding the Russians' trust for dealing with their arsenal and making sure it's all kept safe and accounted for. If that breaks down, and Russia attempts to maintain the security of it's nuclear arsenal on it's own then Star Wars will have made us much, much, much less safe.

[JF]

Adam, the idea that Russia is a responsible arms dealer has long ago lost credibility. Or haven't you heard about their arms sales to Syria, Hezbollah, and Iran? Let alone building Iran's nuclear reactor.

In other words, we're only unsafe so long as we put our trust in them. Once we have fully implemented missile defense, we will no longer need to put our security in their hands.

[Steevo]

Adam Putin nor the Chicoms believe we're gonna nuke them first strike. Now that things have opened up in this 21st century who are they kidding, you know?

[Samuel Coates]

From what I understand, it doesn't affect Russia's ability to target the US anyway. The fastest route for their missiles is over the poles, not over Europe.