Kremlin Welcomes Biden's Offer to Extend Nuclear Treaty
Source: NYT
MOSCOW — The Kremlin on Friday welcomed the Biden administration’s offer to extend a nuclear disarmament treaty that is set to expire next month, signaling, as had been expected, that Russia intends to cooperate with the United States on nuclear security despite President Biden’s pledges to otherwise pursue a harder line with Moscow than his predecessor.
The agreement was last updated in 2010 and puts a cap on the number of strategic nuclear warheads both sides can deploy. It does not limit the number of strategic weapons kept in storage or smaller nuclear explosives intended for tactical use on a battlefield.
The Trump administration had resisted approving a five-year extension under a provision in the original treaty, while seeking to expand the agreement to also cover China’s arsenal. That approach unraveled when Beijing declined to negotiate.
Mr. Biden has long favored approving a simple extension of the existing treaty, as has the Kremlin.
Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/22/world/europe/us-russia-biden-nuclear-treaty.html
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