The public approval of U.S. President Donald Trump’s idea for mutual disarmament by Vladimir Putin might indicate a hidden agenda by the Russian dictator to “lull” Americans into complacency while continuing militarization.
This opinion was shared by international expert Stanislav Zhelikhovskyi in a comment for Ukrinform.
“I can assume why Putin is making such a diplomatic move. It could be a cover for his real intentions. Russia is not planning any reductions and, on the contrary, if an agreement with the U.S. is signed, it will be used to ‘lull’ Americans and continue militarization,” Zhelikhovskyi stated.
According to the expert, Russia has numerous unofficial tools and years of experience in circumventing sanctions. “Russia has mastered bypassing sanctions, having been under them for years. It can finance its defense industry through various private companies (military, among others), state corporations. They can create private special funds, or funding may come from some island nation. No matter the agreement, Putin will easily find a way to bypass it,” he said.
Zhelikhovskyi believes that real agreements on reducing defense spending are unlikely, but he suggests that there are motives behind the actions of both sides. “Trump will be happy, and Putin will be even happier. He will emerge from isolation as a peacemaker, with China and India applauding, while in reality, Russia will continue to push its interests in various regions, thanks to the efforts of the U.S. President, who will bring it back into the big game,” he explained.
In his view, under these conditions, Russia could easily expand its arms production, as the Kremlin does not report to Russian citizens and does not have to be transparent like the U.S. “Moscow could also activate cooperation with Iran, China, and North Korea directing funds there for arms production or receiving them in barter,” Zhelikhovskyi speculated.
As reported, a few days ago, Trump proposed cutting U.S. military spending by 50%. He also suggested offering China and Russia a deal to halve their military budgets.
Russian dictator Putin called the idea of a 50% reduction in defense spending between the U.S. and Russia a “good idea” and expressed his willingness to discuss it.
Source: Putin may support Trump's idea of cutting arms by 50% due to his own plan – expert
