Obama and Medvedev Agree to Scale Back Nuclear Arms Stockpiles
Reason No. 5,296 why I’m thankful Obama is our president and not John McCain. The NY Times is reporting today that Obama and Russian President Dimitri Medvedev have approved a framework agreement which will replace the expiring Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty and call for further reductions of nuclear weapons by both countries.
For a relatively short visit the talks accomplished a lot:
On arms control, the framework document sets the parameters for talks through the end of the year, according to officials. The Start treaty expires on Dec. 5.
The two sides intend to build momentum for a broader agreement to be negotiated starting next year to impose even deeper cuts in their nuclear arsenals and put the world on a path toward eliminating nuclear weapons altogether.
On the immediate treaty, negotiators are to be instructed to craft an agreement that would cut strategic warheads for each side to between 1,500 and 1,675, down from the limit of 2,200 slated to take effect in 2012 under the Treaty of Moscow, which was signed in 2002 by the presidents at the time, Mr. Bush and Vladimir V. Putin.
The limit on delivery vehicles would be cut to between 500 and 1,100 from the 1,600 currently allowed under Start.
The countries would be required to meet the limits in the treaty within seven years, officials said.
Perhaps more important than the specific limits would be a revised and extended verification system that otherwise would expire with Start in December.
While only a first step, the agreement was reached only after arduous negotiations that at several points over the past few weeks appeared to be faltering.
In the end, though, both sides wanted to produce something so they could call the summit meeting a success and further the effort to improve relations.
Mr. Obama also announced an agreement to resume military to military contacts, which broke off after the Georgia war last August.
Additionally with respect to nuclear arms threats posed by North Korea and Iran Mr. Medvedev had this to say. “It’s our common, joint responsibility, and we should do our utmost to prevent any negative trends there, and we are ready to do that.”
We so dodged a bullet when you remember that less than a year ago candidate John McCain was actively trying to stir up trouble between Russia and Georgia
And what’s really funny is that after reading about the Russian talks, this moron’s head is going to totally explode.
Posted by marindenver on 07/06/09 at 07:07 PM • Permalink
Categories: News • Politics • Election '08 • Barack Obama •
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