Hours after the United States suspended its commitment towards the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty –created during the Cold War era to mark an end to the disastrous nuclear race between the Soviet Union and the West, Russia has walked out of the treaty, widely opening an dangerous opportunity for the re-emergence of another nuclear race –probably as much disturbing as the one the liberal world’s architects managed to put to rest through the treaty several decades ago.

Actually, the withdrawal of the US from the Cold War-era treaty was due to a popular assumption that the treaty was meant to serve the interest of the then Soviet Union, not the United States.

Recently, the US found that Russia several times purposefully violated the treaty. At the time of the declaration of its withdrawal, the United States cited what they found to justify its action.

It is clear that Russia is very much worried about the move. The present action of Russia is just retaliatory in nature. From Russia President Vladimir Putin’s statement, it is evident that Russia is ready to relook the policy any time.

Will Russia get a chance to relook depends on how serious the US consider Moscow’s action. If the White House feels that Moscow’s retaliatory action is less worrisome, it will not react in the way Putin expects the US President Donald Trump will.

In reality, Russia’s walkout is less important from the point of view of a US which cares more about its interest and less about the interest of the liberal world, particularly the interest of its heartland (i.e Western Europe).

In that sense, the possibility of Russia being used as a trump card to bring the economically powerful Western Europe to its knees cannot be ruled out.

Will these developments encourage Germany and France to go ahead with their European army plan is the biggest question come out of these sensitive developments.

Vignesh. S. G
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