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President Donald Trump's national security advisor will discuss thorny issues with his counterparts during his visit to Moscow to write the scenario for another high-level meeting between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
John Bolton leaves on Saturday for a trip to Russia, Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia. His first stop is in Moscow to meet senior Russian officials at a time when relations between Moscow and Washington remain frosty about the Ukrainian crisis, the war in Syria and allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential race and the upcoming mid-term US elections.
The New York Times, quoting unnamed sources, reported Friday that Bolton should announce to Russia that the United States is preparing to leave the Mid-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. The United States accuses Russia of violating the treaty for years; Russia says the United States is in violation.
The 1987 pact, which helps to protect the security of the United States and its allies in Europe and the Far East, prohibits the United States and Russia from possessing, producing or testing the United States and Russia. A ground cruise missile with a range of 300 to 3,400 miles. .
The Trump administration would not confirm the information that Trump would leave the treaty.
"In two administrations, the United States and our allies have tried to bring Russia back to full and verifiable compliance with INF," said a senior administration official on condition of anonymity because he was not allowed to discuss the matter. "Despite our objections, Russia continues to produce and process prohibited cruise connections and has ignored calls for transparency."
Democratic Senator Ed Markey of Massachusetts, a member of the Senate External Relations Commission, said the withdrawal of the treaty would play in Russia's hands, undermine US security, and betray NATO's allies. He added that any attempt by the Trump administration to exit the treaty would trigger a fight against Congress.
"There is no doubt that Russia is violating the INF Treaty." The threat of a US withdrawal will not increase our bargaining power, it will only bend the bases to Putin's predictable attempts to push the states To justify Russia's non-compliance, "said Markey.
Bolton should also insist on the US's desire to maintain sanctions against North Korea in order to pressure Pyongyang to eliminate its nuclear weapons program.
Russians and Chinese have suggested that it may be time to relax the sanctions, but this is not the view of the United States and "we will not relax" said a senior manager of the administration. The official only spoke under the guise of anonymity because he was not allowed to discuss details of Bolton's trip.
Putin and Trump met for the last time in Helsinki, Finland, where Trump was criticized for appearing to doubt the US intelligence findings that Russia had mixed up in the 2016 election.
Trump could see Putin at an Armistice Day parade in Paris next month, or at the G20 summit in late November and early December in Buenos Aires, Argentina, but Trump still wants Putin to visit Washington said the manager.
After Russia, Bolton will travel to Azerbaijan for discussions on various regional issues, including Iran, before continuing his work in Armenia and Georgia.
