Biden urged to extend U.S.-Russia arms treaty for full 5 years without conditions
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Arms control advocates are urging Joe Biden to extend the last U.S.-Russian treaty limiting deployed strategic nuclear arms for five years, but some experts argue the U.S. president-elect should go for a shorter period to maintain leverage over Moscow.
Upon taking office on Jan. 20, Biden faces an immediate decision on whether to extend the 2010 New START pact, which otherwise expires 16 days later, freeing Washington and Moscow to deploy unlimited numbers of strategic nuclear warheads and the missiles, submarines and bombers to deliver them.
"Just as dramatic action is needed to combat climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic, immediate, smart and bold American leadership is required to reduce the threat of nuclear catastrophe," two dozen arms control, environmental and other groups wrote in a Nov. 19 letter to Biden's transition team reviewed by Reuters. To see the letter, click here https://bit.ly/3q0pG0y.
Many experts fear New START's demise could fuel a nuclear arms race and intensify U.S.-Russia tensions already at their worst since the Cold War ended in 1991, strained by Russia's annexation of Crimea, its alleged interference - which Moscow denies - in the 2016 U.S. election, and arms control disputes.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/biden-urged-to-extend-us-russia-arms-treaty-for-full-5-years-without-conditions/ar-BB1bmwq4?li=BBnb7Kz