START Talks: Russian Demands Undermine Nuclear Balance

Ariel Cohen / November 16, 2009

On November 12, General Nikolai Makarov, the chief of the Russian General Staff, said that Russia was seeking to overcome “a range of problems” in the negotiations on the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) follow-on treaty. The Treaty will replace the current 1991 START Treaty that expires on December 5. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov referred to “obstacles” in the talks.

The completion of the START follow on treaty is a major part of the administration’s effort to “reset” relations with Russia and is seen as a stepping stone in achieving Barak Obama’s goal of a “world without nuclear weapons”. Russians openly deride this lofty undertaking as naïve. President Obama would like to sign the new treaty before START’s expiration on December 5, but it is far from certain that he can meet even this more reasonable deadline. (more…)