Secretary of State Clinton arrived in Moscow today with hopes of solidifying Russian support of an arms reduction treaty which would replace the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (Start) of 1991. The new treaty would reduce deployed nuclear warheads and delivery systems by at least 25% of their current levels. New concerns raised by President Medvedev over issues such as the proposed United States Missile Defense Shield in Europe have prompted Secretary Clinton’s visit. A Senior Administration official said of the negotiations, “Every time you think you’re done, new issues pop up in Geneva, and what seemed like trivia become major political issues.” The conclusion of this treaty is part of the Obama administration’s effort to forge a better working relationship with Russia. The administration hopes this new relationship will help them to work more closely with Russia on important issues, such as Iranian development of nuclear weapons.
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Stephanie Herseth Sandl
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