 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
US, Russia nuclear deal 'just a question of when': Clinton
Washington (AFP) Dec 10, 2009 US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Thursday that it was just a matter of time before Russia and the United States concluded a new deal on reducing their nuclear arsenals. Clinton said US negotiators had briefed her on Thursday on what the Russians considered the remaining sticking points that needed to be addressed before the two sides could wrap up talks on a new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START). "We are working very hard on the START final negotiations," Clinton told reporters. "I think that both sides are committed to completing the START treaty. It's just a question of when that will be achieved." Just day after the 1991 START treaty expired on December 5, the former Cold War foes have sounded confident notes on reaching a successor accord. There have already been months of intense negotiations since US President Barack Obama and his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev set out the broad guidelines for a deal back in July. The presidents set as a goal slashing the number of warheads on either side to between 1,500 and 1,675 and the number of "carriers" capable of delivering them to between 500 and 1,100. The United States has said it currently has some 2,200 nuclear warheads, while Russia is believed to have about 3,000. US arms control experts said the intricacies of verification measures were likely holding up an agreement rather than any fundamental differences between the two sides. They predicted negotiators would clinch an accord within weeks, if not days. The Russian daily Kommersant cited Russian officials Monday as saying they wanted an agreement by December 18. Arms control experts say how to count each side's nuclear warheads and verify any agreed reductions is especially troublesome. The START treaty does not provide a precedent because it counted only delivery systems, not warheads, and assumed that each bomber, intercontinental missile and submarine carried the maximum number of weapons. The actual number of warheads that each side possesses is believed to be significantly lower than accounted for under START. And the new treaty is designed to measure the actual forces. Share This Article With Planet Earth
Related Links Learn about nuclear weapons doctrine and defense at SpaceWar.com Learn about missile defense at SpaceWar.com All about missiles at SpaceWar.com Learn about the Superpowers of the 21st Century at SpaceWar.com
US, Russia closing in on nuclear agreementWashington (AFP) Dec 9, 2009 The United States and Russia said Wednesday they were closing in on a successor arms reduction treaty that would further slash their nuclear arsenals and put their relations on a more solid footing. "We're getting closer," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs told reporters here, asked about the prospect for an agreement to replace the 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START). "We're optim ... read more |
|
|
| The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2009 - SpaceDaily. AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement |
del.icio.us
Digg
Reddit
YahooMyWeb
Google
Facebook