What would we do without diplomats?
"Allies want to see a last-ditch effort to avoid a U.S. withdrawal," one NATO diplomat said on condition of anonymity because of the classified nature of the meeting, which took place two days after senior U.S. official John Bolton informed Russian President Vladimir Putin of the plans in Moscow.
"Nobody takes issue with Russia's violation of the treaty, but a withdrawal would make it easy for Moscow to blame us for the end of this landmark agreement," a second diplomat said.
The diplomats admit Russia is violating the treaty. But they worry that if America withdraws from a broken treaty that people will blame America for the end of the deal.
Which people? Just who would easily believe such a Russian charge because they are unable to comprehend that Russia violates the treaty, killing it in practice; and America is pronouncing it dead--not killing it?
Are these the same people who believe Russian denials that they invaded Ukraine and continue to fight there?
The same people who protested the NATO missile deployment decision in the early 1980s which got us the INF treaty in the first place?
In mid-1983, having collectively concluded negotiations had failed, NATO confirmed it would deploy U.S. cruise missiles to Britain and Italy and Pershing 2 ballistic missiles to West Germany to counter the Soviet SS-20s.
And then the Crisis, designed to stop NATO's counter-deployment, began in full media fury. Western "peace" organizations, Western pacifists and Communist sympathizers demonstrated throughout Western Europe and the U.S., their protests motley yet synchronized. In October the demonstrations intensified, along with media hysterics. Why? The West German parliament had scheduled a vote on missile deployment.
Why do we need to cater to these kinds of incredibly stupid people?
UPDATE: God bless him, Mattis got the job of reassuring the idiots:
U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said on Sunday that the United States was in consultation with its European allies on an arms control treaty, as NATO members urge Washington to try to bring Russia back into compliance with the pact rather than quit it.
Amazing. Europeans aren't nervous about Russia violating the pact for years now. No, our calling out the Russians on this is nerve-wracking to them. Better to happily stick their heads in the sand and tell yourself all is well.
You know what might get the Russians back in compliance? Walking away from the partially expired INF treaty and telling the Russians if they want a new deal, let us know. Meanwhile we will start building intermediate range nuclear-capable missiles.
