Obama, Medvedev Agree to Limit Nuclear Warheads
The announcement followed hours of talks at the Kremlin
A joint agreement signed today by President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev aims to limit the number of nuclear warheads the United States and Russia can deploy to as few as 1,500 each.
The pledge followed about three hours of talks at the Kremlin, where both Obama and Medvedev agreed to reduce their supply of strategic warheads to between 1,500 and 1,675. The reduction would also lower the number of lower-range missiles for delivering nuclear bombs to between 500 and 1,100.
"We are confident that we can continue to build off the extraordinary discussions that we had in London," Obama said, "and that on a whole host of issues—including security issues, economic issues, energy issues, environmental issues—that the United States and Russia have more in common than they have differences."
Among these differences are plans by the United States to build a missile defense shield in Eastern Europe and Russia's war with Georgia, which occurred less than a year ago.
The new agreement by two of the world's biggest nuclear powers would set the stage for a replacement to the 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, which expires in December.
Current treaties limit each country's nuclear stockpiles to a maximum of 2,200 warheads and 1,600 launch vehicles.
Russia also agreed to allow the U.S. military to fly troops and weapons across its territory to Afghanistan. This would help the United States avoid more dangerous supply routes through Pakistan, which are frequently attacked by militants. Both presidents said they were committed to "the goals of the common fight against the threats of terrorism, armed extremism, and illegal drug trafficking" in the country.
The summit meeting marked Obama's first trip to Russia as president. He will meet with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin at his home outside Moscow tomorrow.
- See photos of Obama abroad.
Reader Comments
Land of Ice and Snow
"Comrade" Alexi,you forgot to mention that Eldridge Cleaver ,one the founding members of the Black Panther Party admitted to KGB ties-not just the Panthers ,but MLKs' camp as well.The Soviets had infiltrated both militant & pacifist movements domestically .By using the peace movement to weaken our resolve in Vietnam or by gloved fists to reduce inner cities U.S. to battle zones ,the Soviets were waging war against my Country.I don't forget or forgive that ,and I want my fellow Americans that are too young to remember Russia's previous incarnation ,to bear those truths in mind.
Russian people believe Mr. Obama
In Russia the vast majority of people do not want war, and sincerely wish good relations with the United States. The past cannot be returned. The glory of God! And the future we must create by our own hands - the Americans and Russians. And what will be this future - depends just on us in many ways. The great times of Truman and Khrushov, Nixon and Brezhnev finally gone away. They all were sincere patriots and defenders of their native lands. But their approaches – the last century ones.
We are happy to live in the beginning of the new eara.
So let’s God bless the wonderful person Mr. Obama! This is very clever and courageous man, who putting a great burden on his shoulders. This is a courageous reformer. Americans believe him, and Russians too. Stop looking at each other in the slot sight!
Don't buy what Russia is selling
Russia does not want us to prevail in Afghanistan anymore than we wanted them to .That was the 1979 yuletime gift to Carter (the gift that keeps on giving)when they & the world saw the most powerful country in history, paralyzed for what became 444 days in Tehran ,by a mob of radical Shia students.I still wonder how many of those "students" were in fact agents for the GRU & KGB.It is concievable that at it's inception ,Al Qaeda ,with links to the Arab Brotherhood and Mujahadin ,might well have been penetrated by the Soviets through Afghan Nadji Bhula loyalists that had formed sleeper cells.Further ,if the Kremlin was indeed inside Al Qaeda,then they could now wage war on U.S. soil under the guise of a "stateless" entity- with no one that we could effectivly retaliate against.If anyone thinks that Putin/Medvedev are allies because they throw a few floaters for the First Stooge to hit out of the park -we're are all in deep ca-ca people.
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