Putin’s INF Whine – Planned Since 2008.

When Putin whines, it always follows the same pattern, much like Iran. “I did not do it.” The INF Treaty is no exception. Unfortunately, geopolitics are not akin to a children’s brawl. Somebody starts it, and should be held accountable. In this particular case, the media is kind of saying the Obama Administration should have known about Russia’s breaking its commitment, but no timeline is given. The inference is that this is new news. Let me help you with that. September 2008. A couple of months before Barack Obama’s election as # 44. Here is the excerpt of my book, sorry about the plug, but you’ll have to get used to it… Page 12, off the bat:

“The reign of Vladimir Putin had begun. So did the preparations for the new chess game.

Upon Dugin’s advice, he first had to replenish Russia’s coffers, which he did, in particular through its oil and gas industry^[i]. He then restructured the military and police. For constitutional reasons, Dmitry Medvedev became Russia’s President in May 2008 but, de facto, Putin remained in charge as Prime Minister. Unbeknownst to most, starting in October 2008, and in violation of the 1987 INF Treaty, Russia restarted its ballistic missile testing program, with the launch of an SS-25 Sickle which hit its target in the Kamchatka peninsula in the Pacific,6,000 kilometers away, and two others from a submarine in the Bering Sea^[ii].

Putin had spent sixteen years in the KGB and two in the FSB. This was enough for him to know against whom he would want to play the next game. Coincidentally with the end of the Bush era, and the restart of Russia’s ballistic program, he chose President Barack Obama.