Cover Osteuropa 1-2/2019

In Osteuropa 1-2/2019

Carelessly squandered
The end of the INF Treaty

Pavel Podvig


Deutsche Fassung

Abstract

The US accuses Russia of having unequivocally and systematically violated the INF Treaty since 2014. It bases this accusation on information obtained by the secret services, which it refuses to publish. This secrecy has made it impossible to preserve this armament control agreement. It is not clear whether or to what extent the 9M729 cruise missile developed by Russia is in infringement of the treaty. The generalised accusations were met with non-specific lies by Moscow. In this way, a major atomic weapons control agreement has been squandered on the basis of an accusation for which no evidence has been provided – with fatal consequences for armament control as a whole. Only pressure from society can force the atomic powers to return to the negotiating table.

(Osteuropa 1-2/2019, pp. 103–107)