Editor in Chief: Moh. Reza Huwaida Thursday, March 28th, 2024

Further Nuclear Arms Cuts to Involve More Countries: Russian FM

Further Nuclear  Arms Cuts to Involve More Countries: Russian FM

MOSCOW - Future talks on nuclear arms reductions would involve all countries that possess nuclear weapons, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Saturday.

Commenting on U.S. President Barack Obama’s proposals to further cut nuclear weapons stocks in the two countries, Lavrov said the current priority was to implement the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) treaty signed by the two sides.

“It will take several years more for us to reach the levels it stipulates,” Lavrov said in an interview with a local TV channel.

Meanwhile, further talks on nuclear arms cuts should be taken in a multilateral format, since “further reductions would bring us to levels comparable to the nuclear arsenals possessed by countries other than Russia and the U.S.,” he said.

Those countries include not only officially recognized nuclear powers but “all countries possessing nuclear weapons,” he specified.

When deciding on further nuclear cuts, Russia would take into account the U.S. missile shield plan in Europe, Lavrov said, adding Obama had acknowledged the necessity of this approach.

Earlier this week, Obama called for a one-third reduction of U.S. and Russian deployed nuclear weapons, saying it was possible to ensure American security and a strong deterrent while also limiting nuclear weapons.

Under the new START, which Obama signed with Russia in 2010, Washington and Moscow are committed to cutting their existing warhead ceilings by 30 percent over the next 10 years from the current 2,200 to 1,550. A further one-third cut in the arsenals would take them to the 1,000 weapons mark.

President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday Russia must take into account the possibility of a preemptive nuclear strike against its interests and include it in its defense strategy.   (Xinhua)