Trump Pulls US Out of Nuclear Treaty with Russia

FEATURING KEVIN MARTIN – President Donald Trump has announced he will pull the US out of a major nuclear weapons treaty with Russia. The President’s reasoning was that Russia had apparently violated the treaty many times and it was unfair in his mind for Russia to, “go out and do weapons [while] we’re not allowed to.” He said after a campaign rally in Nevada, “I don’t know why President [Barack] Obama didn’t negotiate or pull out…They’ve been violating it for many years.” Obama did rebuke Russia following the testing of a banned weapon in 2014 but he kept the US in the treaty over European fears of a new arms race. According to the BBC, Trump’s, “decision to walk away from the agreement marks a significant setback for arms control.”

According to the BBC, Trump’s, “decision to walk away from the agreement marks a significant setback for arms control.” Former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev, who had signed the original treaty with US President Ronald Reagan has also slammed Trump’s move. US National Security Adviser John Bolton is currently in Moscow for a trip that was scheduled previously and is speaking with his Russian counterparts about the treaty withdrawal. News outlets are reporting that it was Bolton’s idea for Trump to back out of the treaty.

Kevin Martin, President of Peace Action.