Around Russia

The Foreign Ministry is authorized to frighten

July 9, 2008 Alexander Golts

The expected and extremely unpleasant event occurred. At the very moment when Dmitry Medvedev, a “smart guy” (according to George Bush), stated that some disagreements are retained between Russia and the USA, the US Secretary of State signed an agreement in Prague on the placement of the radar of the American strategic missile defense system in the Czech Republic. The native Foreign Ministry immediately responded with a very tough statement .

Firstly, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs claims that "that pulling up elements of the US strategic arsenal to Russian territory can be used to weaken our deterrent potential." And secondly, it threatens that if “our borders begin the real deployment of American strategic pro, then we will be forced to react not by diplomatic, but by military-technical methods ... It is clear that the Russian side in such a situation will take adequate measures to compensate for the potential of threats of their national security.”

I must state that both statements do not correspond to reality in any way. American about cannot weaken the Russian deterrence potential. For the simple reason that the ten anti-aroundings that can be deployed in Poland (if Washington agrees with Warsaw), at best, will be able to intercept one of those 1700-2200 nuclear warheads that Moscow will possess in 2012 (about three thousand warheads are currently revealed). Those who doubt the technical competence of your submissive servant, I refer to the text of Vladimir Zinovievich Dvorkin, retired major general, the former head of the 4th Research Institute of the Ministry of Defense, one of the few real military experts in our country.

Even more curious promise to answer "military-technical methods." Actually, there may be two such answers. The first is to improve the means of overcoming the pro. The lesson is completely meaningless and at the same time win -win, since the Americans clearly do not prepare their system to confront Russia. In addition, domestic chiefs have stated many times that we already have miraculous warheads that can overcome any pro. On such trifles that, according to reports in the press, these warheads begin to maneuver at the final stage of the flight (which it seems to be impossible to intercept them), already when approaching the goal, and the Americans are going to carry out interception in space, you can not pay attention. The Kremlin propagandists will tell the people about asymmetric, but effective measures, and the Americans will prudently remain silent. Well, whatever the child is amused ...

A completely different story if Moscow decides to answer by creating an additional threat to the United States or those countries where elements of the American missile defense system will be located. It will be quite difficult to “deal” with the Americans themselves. For the past six years, Moscow fiercely achieved from Washington the resumption of negotiations on nuclear weapons. And now, after John McCain’s speech in Denver, to which his democratic competitor Barack Obama is doomed to react, there was a hope that such negotiations may begin the next administration. Trying in this situation to get a military-strategic advantage over the United States (with all the illusory of success) means destroying any base for negotiations.

There remains the threat with which Russian generals have repeatedly performed. To get out of the medium and smaller range missiles (RSMD), increase the range of Iskander missiles, mark them in the Kaliningrad region and target the Czech Republic, as well as to the country where interceptors will be located. I am sure that such nonsense will never become a reality.

It is appropriate to recall that in the 1970s the USSR tried to get an advantage over NATO, aiming at medium-range missiles to Western Europe. However, when the Americans unfolded Pershing and Tomagavka, the Kremlin realized: Soviet missiles can destroy Brussels and London, but not Washington. But the American Tomagavka will fly to Moscow in five minutes. As a result, I had to sign the RSMD agreement, according to which the USSR destroyed much more missiles than the United States. Then the Soviet Union spent from 40 to 80 percent of GDP on military costs. Now, officially on defense, Russia spends 2.7 percent of GDP (some experts believe that expenses reach 4 percent). Be that as it may, this means that Russia is completely not ready for the new arms race. By the way, so far with a sin in half has managed to put into operation only one division of the Iskander.

All this means that our Foreign Ministry is engaged in shocking air. And nothing more. At the same time, you see, it is curious that a person who writes about the “position of Russia” feels and at the same time understands what he writes, how to say this softer, real garbage.