Washington: The US and Russia on Friday rejected each other’s proposals to clear their last legal screw-on strategic nuclear forces. Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has demanded that the ‘New Start’ treaty be carried forward unconditionally. This treaty is about to expire soon. At the same time, the White House described it as “useless”.
US President Donald Trump’s National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien said that Russia should reconsider its stand. Trump considered ways to increase his foreign policy record in the last days of his re-election campaign, and although he says he favors nuclear weapons control, he calls the ‘New Start’ treaty flawed, saying It is not in favor of America.
The ‘New Start’ treaty was signed in 2010 by former US President Barack Obama and then Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and is scheduled to end in 2021 in February.
Putin on Friday proposed to extend New Start at least one year unconditionally. He said, “Over the years New Start has worked and played an important role by limiting the arms race. At the same time, Brian said, “President Putin’s answer to increasing New Start without stopping nuclear weapons is of no use.”
