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Tactical Nuclear Weapons and NATO.pdf - Program on Strategic ...

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heads; <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> improved capacity to use radio-electr<strong>on</strong>ic<br />

warfare to disrupt informati<strong>on</strong> systems supporting<br />

missile defense forces. If these measures are not sufficient,<br />

Russia will deploy to the west <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> south side<br />

of the country modern strike systems, including moving<br />

Isk<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g>er missiles to Kaliningrad. If no progress is<br />

made in dealing with the U.S. missile defense system<br />

in Europe, Russia will ab<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g><strong>on</strong> all efforts at arms c<strong>on</strong>trol<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> even leave START III. 17 Some commentators<br />

treated the statement as mere pre-electi<strong>on</strong> posturing<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> saw little effect <strong>on</strong> l<strong>on</strong>g-term relati<strong>on</strong>s. 18 Highlyplaced<br />

sources in the Kremlin <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> the Ministry of<br />

Foreign Affairs have c<strong>on</strong>firmed that the tough line in<br />

relati<strong>on</strong>s with the United States will c<strong>on</strong>tinue if Washingt<strong>on</strong><br />

does not make any c<strong>on</strong>cessi<strong>on</strong>s. The next step<br />

would be for Vladimir Putin, as President of Russia, to<br />

refuse to attend the <str<strong>on</strong>g>NATO</str<strong>on</strong>g> Summit in Chicago, IL, <strong>on</strong><br />

May 20, 2012, although he would attend the parallel<br />

G8 Summit, also being held in Chicago. 19 This source<br />

did not seem to appreciate the ir<strong>on</strong>y of speaking of<br />

“President” Putin’s acti<strong>on</strong>s before he had been elected<br />

President.<br />

The combinati<strong>on</strong> of the BASIC Trident Commissi<strong>on</strong><br />

paper, the hysteria over Makarov’s remarks<br />

in Russian mass media, <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> Medvedev’s statement<br />

about measures to counter the U.S.-<str<strong>on</strong>g>NATO</str<strong>on</strong>g> missile defense<br />

system, created a high degree of anxiety am<strong>on</strong>g<br />

the policy elite in Russia. In resp<strong>on</strong>se to this situati<strong>on</strong>,<br />

several commentators were quick to applaud Medvedev’s<br />

moves as measured <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> intended to exert pressure<br />

but not to break off relati<strong>on</strong>s. Andrei Kokoshin,<br />

the former First Deputy Minister of Defense, judged<br />

them “completely adequate” to the current situati<strong>on</strong>,<br />

but warned that further developments in the area of<br />

missile defense would need close watching <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> could<br />

123

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