WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement on the Trump administration announcement that it would suspend U.S. participation in the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty.
“Serious Russian transgressions are at the heart of this Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces (INF) crisis. However, President Trump’s faux outrage at Russia continues to help Russia more than the U.S. and our allies. He now is pulling our country out of yet another strategic framework and setting the stage for an unnecessary and costly arms race. Donald Trump, the self-proclaimed master dealmaker, has once again been expertly manipulated by Vladimir Putin, who would like nothing better than to have the U.S. open the door to massive proliferation without consequences.
“Over the next six months, I implore the Administration to allow our skilled diplomats and experts to do their job and salvage this agreement before the withdrawal becomes official. And with the renewal of the New START agreement also on the horizon, now would be a good time for President Trump and his administration to develop a rational strategy on arms control that strengthens America’s national security more than Russia’s.
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