U.S. response to Putin may close door to more arms control talks under Trump

[webfact]

U.S. response to Putin may close door to more arms control talks under Trump

 

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends his annual end-of-year news conference, held online in a video conference mode, at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence outside Moscow, Russia December 17, 2020. Sputnik/Alexei Nikolsky/Kremlin via REUTERS

 

WASHINGTON/MOSCOW (Reuters) -The United States, responding to Russia blaming Washington for starting a new arms race, on Thursday reiterated a proposal already rejected by Moscow for extending their last strategic arms limitation treaty, appearing to close the door to talks in the final weeks of the Trump administration.

 

The 2010 New START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) expires on Feb. 5 unless the presidents of the world's two biggest nuclear arms powers agree to extend it by up to five years. The deadline puts pressure on U.S. President-elect Joe Biden to act quickly after taking office on Jan. 20.

 

The treaty's lapse would end all restraints on deployments of U.S. and Russian strategic nuclear warheads and the missiles, bombers and submarines that carry them, fueling a new nuclear arms race, policy experts said.

 

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday tweeted that "We are ready to continue the dialogue with the US, but for that our partners need to respond." Putin, at his annual news conference on Thursday, blamed Washington for starting a new arms race, saying Moscow was forced to develop hypersonic weapons in response.

 

Marshall Billingslea, U.S. President Donald Trump's special arms control envoy, answered by reiterating a U.S. proposal for a one-year New START extension and an undefined warhead freeze to which he said Putin had agreed.

 

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday blamed the United States for starting a new arms race, saying Moscow had been forced to develop hypersonic weapons in response - something he claims many other countries do not have yet.

 

The Russian Foreign Ministry "rejected all mtgs," Billingslea said on Twitter. "All we need to do is define what we are freezing, the cap level & start verification talks."

 

Russia had proposed a one-year New START extension and a strategic and tactical warhead freeze of the same duration, but only if Washington sought no further conditions.

 

Moscow rejected the idea after Washington demanded strict verification measures, a complex negotiating process.

 

Talks have been stalled since October. Russia in November revived an earlier call for an unconditional New START extension for the five-year maximum.

 

Daryl Kimball, head of the Arms Control Association, a Washington advocacy group, said Billingslea's response made it all but certain there would be no further talks until Biden succeeds Trump.

 

Putin's tweet "was aimed at Biden," he said.

 

Biden favors extending New START as a "foundation for new arms control arrangements." Sources close to his transition team said last month that Biden has made no decision on a duration.

 

New START capped at 1,550 the numbers of strategic nuclear warheads the sides can deploy and to 700 the numbers of deployed strategic missiles and heavy bombers.

 

(Reporting by Jonathan Landay and Vladimir Soldatkin; Editing by Mary Milliken and Grant McCool)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-12-18

 

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[pegman]

Vlad should know Trump is already checked out and there's not much chance of doing business unless it's at one of his golf courses 

[malibukid]

there will soon be a new sheriff in town

[GrandPapillon]

Putin is going yo eat Biden for breakfast, now that his best agent is gone ????

[candide]

It should not be assumed that the U.S. wants a treaty.

[Jeffr2]

3 hours ago, GrandPapillon said:

Putin is going yo eat Biden for breakfast, now that his best agent is gone ????

Yeah, always guessed Putin had something on Trump besides that million dollar deal for the Moscow Towers.  Can't wait till they release the conversations he had with Putin.  That should be interesting.????

[GrandPapillon]

Putin is said to be releasing the golden shower tapes in a documentary with Netflix ????

 

Trump is going to be even more popular after that,

 

he will be the new "Tiger King" ????

 

PS: Tiger King was an amazing show, must watch

[habanero]

On 12/18/2020 at 3:51 AM, malibukid said:

there will soon be a new sheriff in town

Yeah, Barney Fife. ????????????

[Jeffr2]

4 hours ago, habanero said:

Yeah, Barney Fife. ????????????

But he'll be better than the orange clown.

[bendejo]

It may not have been a shooting war, but as far as war of wits is concerned, well, this was taken as these two came out of a private meeting.  Who in this picture looks like he was just subject to an involuntary colonoscopy?

 

 

[bendejo]

On 12/18/2020 at 3:50 PM, Jeffr2 said:

Yeah, always guessed Putin had something on Trump besides that million dollar deal for the Moscow Towers.  Can't wait till they release the conversations he had with Putin.  That should be interesting.????

I have the impression he ran a laundry service for the oligarchs. 

Things like this, for one:

https://www.rawstory.com/2019/04/bombshell-report-links-trumps-azerbaijan-hotel-irans-revolutionary-guard/