Photo courtesy of Russia's Ministry of Defense
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"On Point"
MINSK, 7 August (BelTA) - Russia had until recently hoped for a rational approach from its Western counterparts, which is why it voluntarily imposed a moratorium on the deployment of ground-based intermediate- and shorter-range missiles (INF) and has now just as voluntarily terminated it, Elena Ponomareva, Doctor of Political Science, Professor at MGIMO (Moscow State Institute of International Relations), said in the latest episode of the V Teme [On Point] project on BelTA’s YouTube channel.
Reflecting on the significance of the 1 August meeting between Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Valaam Island in Lake Ladoga, Elena Ponomareva noted that several key themes emerged from the leaders’ statements, including negotiations and sanctions. According to the political scientist, another critical topic was the discussion of the two states’ security capabilities. “Naturally, the issue of military security was raised. And global news agencies focused particularly on Vladimir Putin’s statement that the first serial-produced Oreshnik system has been manufactured and delivered to the troops,” Elena Ponomareva said.
The MGIMO professor emphasized that international media paid special attention to the announcement that Russian and Belarusian specialists had selected sites for future deployments and were now preparing these positions. “If Russian and Belarusian specialists are jointly scouting these deployment locations, it’s clear that Belarus’ flank must be secured in this scenario. That goes without saying. The Russian president stated that we will resolve this matter by year end. The rapid pace of developments also speaks volumes,” she added.
Elena Ponomareva highlighted a statement issued by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 4 August, which laid out the rationale for ending the unilateral moratorium on ground-based INF missiles, a measure originally announced after the 2019 collapse of the INF Treaty between the USSR/Russia and the USA. “In my view, this should have been done long ago. But Russia has always been distinguished by the peace-oriented nature of its policy. Until the last moment, we hoped for a rational approach from our Western counterparts, which is why we voluntarily imposed this moratorium on ourselves. The USA abandoned it in 2019. Now, we are just as voluntarily declaring that the situation has escalated beyond all bounds, so we are revoking the conditions we once set for ourselves,” the political scientist concluded.
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