Russia, US agree nuclear arms cuts in Obama visit

Germany sees 'new spirit' in Russia-US ties
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Monday welcomed a joint determination by Russian and US leaders to reduce their countries' strategic nuclear weapons and said he saw a "new spirit". "I welcome today's Moscow declaration," Steinmeier said in a statement issued by his ministry. "It is the sign of a new spirit in Russian-US relations: the armament scenarios are part of the past. Today there is a joint will to make progress in the disarmament field." During talks in Moscow presidents Dmitry Medvedev and Barack Obama earlier Monday announced agreements on Afghanistan and cutting their nuclear arsenals as they sought a new era in battered relations. Their agreement shows that "the two nuclear powers take their disarmament obligations under article 6 of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty seriously", said Steinmeier. "This is an important signal for the conference that is to look into the treaty next year," he added. Steinmeier said this new "positive momentum" should be used to reach new disarmament targets. "We need substantial progress in disarmament policies," he said. The declaration signed by the two presidents pledges to reach a new nuclear arms reduction pact to replace the 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START). Obama said it provides for cuts of "up to a third" from current limitations. START is due to expire on December 5 but the declaration gave no target date for a renewal, instructing negotiators to complete the work as quickly as possible. The declaration called for a reduction in the number of nuclear warheads in Russian and US strategic arsenals to between 1,500 and 1,675 within seven years and the number of ballistic missile carriers to between
The Russian and US leaders Dmitry Medvedev and Barack Obama on Monday announced agreements on Afghanistan and cutting their nuclear arsenals as they sought a new era in battered relations.
The ex-Cold War foes issued a declaration on replacing a key disarmament treaty -- including figures for major cuts in nuclear warheads -- and clinched a breakthrough deal for US military transit for Afghanistan across Russia.

But as Obama made his first visit to Moscow as president, they still remained divided over US plans to install a missile defence shield in eastern Europe and Moscow's policy towards the pro-Western ex-Soviet state Georgia.

"The president and I agreed that the relationship between Russia and the United States (has suffered) from a sense of drift," Obama said at joint news conference in the Kremlin with Medvedev.

"We resolved to reset US-Russian relations. Today after less than six months of collaboration (since coming to office) we have done exactly that," he added.

The declaration signed by the presidents pledges to reach a new nuclear arms reduction pact to replace the 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START). Obama said it provides for cuts of "up to a third" from current limitations.

It "commits both parties to a legally binding treaty that will reduce nuclear weapons," the White House said in a statement.

START is due to expire on December 5 but the declaration gave no target date for a renewal, instructing negotiators to complete the work as quickly as possible.

The declaration called for a reduction in the number of nuclear warheads in Russian and US strategic arsenals to between 1,500 and 1,675 within seven years and the number of ballistic missile carriers to between 500-1,100.

The cuts go beyond those levels set in the 2002 Strategic Offensive Reductions Treaty (SORT) which calls for both countries to reduce the number of deployed warheads to between 1,700 and 2,200 on either side by 2012.

"The declared reduction is a real agreement and it suits everyone," said Alexei Malashenko, analyst with the Carnegie Centre in Moscow.

"The Americans have decided to accept Russia as it is. Obama does not have the complexes from the Cold War and does not consider Russia to be an enemy of the United States."

Obama also proposed that the United States host a global nuclear security summit next year and suggested to Medvedev that Russia host a subsequent one in order to draft a new, "reinvigorated" non-proliferation treaty.

The Afghanistan agreement means Russia has authorised the use of its airspace for the transit of US troops and arms, a major boost for Obama's bid to step up the fight against the Taliban.

The deal permits up to 4,500 military flights per year, or about 12 per day, which can be loaded with troops, firearms, ammunition, military vehicles and spare parts, a senior US official said.

The official said military flights would not be charged air navigation fees and that they would not stop on Russian territory.

Previously Russia had only allowed the United States to ship non-lethal military supplies across its territory by train.

The two sides also signed an agreement to resume bilateral military cooperation suspended last August over Moscow's war in Georgia, an event which sent ties plummeting to a post Cold War low.

But amid the smiles and expressions of goodwill, the US plan to install missile defence facilities in the Czech Republic and Poland -- which Russia says threatens its security -- remained a major sticking point.

"The discussions on missile defence are proceeding with great difficulty because the approaches are very different," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said, according to ITAR-TASS news agency.

Obama expressed hope however that "over time we will have seen that the US and Russian positions can be reconciled" and announced that both sides would step up their joint analysis of missile threats.

He also bluntly repeated the US dissatisfaction with Russia's recognition of two breakaway Russian regions as independent, Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity "must be respected".

"There are areas where we still disagree...we had a frank discussion on Georgia".

Obama was on Tuesday morning due to meet with Russia's powerful Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, a man who he described in the run-up to the summit as having "one foot" in the past of the Cold War.

He did not repeat that comment in the news conference, acknowledging that Putin was one of the "influential" figures he was going to meet and noting that Russia's ruling tandem were "working very effectively together".

Obama asks Putin to give up Cold War, looks at a Korean Missile Crisis

This week, on the eve of his first trip to Russia, President Barak Obama criticized the Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin for having a foot left in the Cold War. During his speech Obama, cited that the new President of Russia, Dmitry Medvedev, is more adapt to moving forward from this past.


With the discussion of the START I treaty at the head of the summit’s agenda, Obama is not treading lightly in regards to this former enemy. However, with the prospects of a reduction in nuclear arms and at least a discussion on SDI (Strategic Defense Initiative), both sides are looking for heavy concessions.


Obama wants to dramatically cut our nuclear arsenal, while the Russians would like for the U.S. to abandon its SDI program. This may pose a problem on a few different fronts.


As of 06:37 on 4 July, it is reported that North Korea has launched up to 7 missiles off their eastern coast. This will further defy the UN resolution following the May underground test of a nuclear weapon. North Korea is and has been pursuing a myopic foreign policy that is making the world scratch their heads.


While the United States still believes in diplomacy in regards to North Korea, many wonder what a possible ICBM (Intercontinental Ballistic Missile) launch towards Hawaii, set for the July 4th Holiday, will do for relations surrounding the area.


According to analysts at the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI), a think tank that analyzes nuclear issues, there is a belief that such a launch, coupled with a pursed nuclear agenda, could send the region into to a ripple effect of chaos.


It is thought that Japan, who has not had a standing army since WWII, may feel the need for a military buildup to offer itself a significant defense against North Korea. If this were to occur, China, who is already torn between a natural ally in Korea and desired ally in the United States, believes this could lead to nuclear proliferation within the region, in essence creating another Cold War. If such were to happen, China would most likely react accordingly. With essential ties to the North, if Japan were to rearm and pursue nuclear weapons for defense, China would be in a position to have to choose between a lesser of two evils.


As Obama discusses nuclear arms reductions with Moscow, they are in a wait and see mode. Their nuclear supply is believed to be somewhere in the neighborhood of 14,000 units, which far outnumbers any other nation, including the U.S.


It is doubted that a missile launch from Korea would even come anywhere close to Hawaii. In any event, the U.S. has deployed countermeasure to intercept any threat.