Putin on U.S. Withdrawal from the ABM Treaty

Putin answers questions from a UK journalist in relation to Russia's intentions of getting along with the US.

The treaty that he refers to in the conversation is the the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty (ABM Treaty) between the United States and Russia on the limitation of the 'missile defense' systems used in defending areas against ballistic missile-delivered nuclear weapons.

George W. Bush unilaterally withdrew the US from the ABM Treaty in 2002.  Since that time the Pentagon has been encircling Russia and China with 'missile defense' systems that were once outlawed by the ABM Treaty.  Thus the US has unleashed these destabilizing systems that are key elements in Pentagon first-strike attack planning.  In addition NATO has expanded eastward right up to the Russian borders. Russia and China have repeatedly responded that they now can't afford to get rid of their nuclear weapons while the US-NATO surround them with the missile shield.

It can't be repeated often enough that the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute tracks the level of military spending around the world.  Global military expenditures in 2014 were an estimated $1,776 billion.  The top global spender was the US at 34% of the world total.  When you add in the numbers from NATO members (and the US's Asia-Pacific ‘partners’) the US-NATO share of global military spending is well over 50%.  

 In 2014 China spent 12% and Russia 4.8% of the global total.  It’s hard to imagine how Russia at 4.8% can be the military ‘threat’ that Washington-Brussels-London like to claim it is.