Bolton: US Plans Talks With Allies Before Leaving Nuclear Pact

Trump vows to create more nukes

Despite announcing Sunday that they intend to withdraw from the Intermediate Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty, the US hasn’t actually done so yet. According to John Bolton, this will only happen after discussions with certain US allies take place.

Which is a strange order to do things in, particularly since US officials, and Bolton, have provided no indication that there is any series of events that doesn’t end with a US pullout from INF. Bolton similarly rejected Russian calls to stay.

It’s not clear who is going to be discussed with, but German officials are already on the record as opposing the pullout, saying the US should consider the consequences instead of just acting.Though again, there is no indication that the opposition of those allies will change anything from the US perspective.

President Trump is giving the indication this is all past-tense anyhow, promising major new buildups of nuclear weapons, saying that he’ll be targeting China, Russia, and whoever wants to play that game. You can’t play that game on me.”

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.