Friday
Mar262010
White House Reaches Agreement With Russia On START
Friday, March 26, 2010 at 12:52PM
President Barack Obama announced Friday that he will head to Prague on April 8 to sign a new arms control agreement with Russian President Dimitry Medvedev. The new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) between the U.S. and Russia is an attempt by the two nations to limit the spread of nuclear weapons worldwide.
"Since I took office, I’ve been committed to a “reset” of our relationship with Russia. When the United States and Russia can cooperate effectively, it advances the mutual interests of our two nations, and the security and prosperity of the wider world...Today, we have reached agreement on one of my administration’s top national security priorities -- a pivotal new arms control agreement," said Mr. Obama during brief remarks in the White House.
The President spoke via telephone with Medvedev shortly before the announcement. According to White House officials, the conversation marked the 14th meeting or phone call between the two leaders. Mr. Obama was joined in the briefing room by U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen.
Under the new treaty, both nations would agree to cut their stock of nuclear warheads by 30 percent. Mrs. Clinton said the deal symbolized the ushering of a new era in relations between the U.S. and Russia.
“The START treaty, it says to our country the Cold War really is behind us and these massive nuclear arsenals that both of our countries maintained as part of deterrence no longer have to be so big."
"Since I took office, I’ve been committed to a “reset” of our relationship with Russia. When the United States and Russia can cooperate effectively, it advances the mutual interests of our two nations, and the security and prosperity of the wider world...Today, we have reached agreement on one of my administration’s top national security priorities -- a pivotal new arms control agreement," said Mr. Obama during brief remarks in the White House.
The President spoke via telephone with Medvedev shortly before the announcement. According to White House officials, the conversation marked the 14th meeting or phone call between the two leaders. Mr. Obama was joined in the briefing room by U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen.
Under the new treaty, both nations would agree to cut their stock of nuclear warheads by 30 percent. Mrs. Clinton said the deal symbolized the ushering of a new era in relations between the U.S. and Russia.
“The START treaty, it says to our country the Cold War really is behind us and these massive nuclear arsenals that both of our countries maintained as part of deterrence no longer have to be so big."
Reader Comments