House Armed Services Committee member Tom Cotton, R-Ark., ripped President Biden’s proposal to unconditionally extend the last remaining nuclear arms treaty between Moscow and Washington.
Cotton told “Special Report” on Monday that it was the height of irony for the leader of a party that repeatedly blasted President Trump for his supposed weakness and affection for the Kremlin to give the Russians such a blanket approval.
Cotton previously said Biden is essentially giving a gift to President Vladimir Putin by proposing such an uncritical approval after “4 years of unfounded hysterical facts on President Trump and chest-thumping about Russia.”
“[T]he number one priority for Vladimir Putin was an unconditional extension of the new START Treaty because that treaty favors Russia,” Cotton said Monday on Fox News. “It does not cover the vast arsenal of tactical nuclear weapons that Russia has or some of its novel delivery systems like undersea delivery systems or nuclear-powered cruise missiles and hypersonic glide vehicles — that’s why Vladimir Putin wanted it extended.”
“For four years, they beat their chest like Jack Ryan as if they were the only ones who would stand up to Vladimir Putin — when in fact the Trump Administration had a much tougher line on Russia than previous administrations in both parties,” he said, nodding to the globetrotting CIA agent created by novelist Robert Ludlum and portrayed in film by Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford and most recently John Krasinski.
RUSSIA WELCOMES BIDEN’S PROPOSAL TO EXTEND NUKE TREATY
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said that Russia stands for extending the pact and is waiting to see the details of the U.S. proposal.
The White House said Thursday that Biden has proposed to Russia a five-year extension of the New START treaty.
Cotton further called the move disappointing and a future danger to U.S. national security.
He added that Democrat have since the Cold War been “very dovish” with Russia and previously the Soviet Union.
The treaty renewal proposal is also shortsighted in that China has become a growing international player since the current iteration of the START treaty came into existence.
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“China is growing nuclear arms threatening to overmatch the United States when combined with Russia and their nuclear arms. I don’t understand why Joe Biden would have given Vladimir Putin exactly what he wanted on his first full day in office without demanding significant concessions in return,” he said.
On the subject of Trump himself, Cotton said an impeachment trial — which now would be presided over by Senate President Pro-Tempore Patrick Leahy, a Vermont Democrat; as Chief Justice John Roberts is not expected to appear — is “beyond the constitutional authority of the Senate.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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