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Russia’s stiff terms for arms control deal

MOSCOW: Russian President Dmitry Medvedev reaffirmed Moscow’s commitment to drastic cuts in nuclear weapons but set stiff conditions the U.S. must meet for the two sides to sign an arms control deal.

Mr. Medvedev said Russia was ready to slash delivery vehicles “by several times” against the 1991 START-1 and to reduce nuclear warheads below the number agreed upon in the 2002 Russian-American arms pact if the U.S. meets three Russian demands.

First, “we cannot agree with U.S. plans to create a global missile defence system,” said the Russian leader in a statement released by the Kremlin on Saturday.

Second, Russia was “seriously concerned” over U.S. plans to put non-nuclear warheads on strategic missiles.

Third, the new pact must reconfirm the START-1 ban on the deployment strategic offensive weapons outside national territory.

Russian and U.S. negotiators are to meet for a third round of talks on June 22 on replacing the START-1 treaty, which expires on December 5, with a new pact.

While the sides appeared to have made progress on the last two demands listed in Mr. Medvedev’s statement, the U.S. continues to stick to its plans to build a global missile shield.

The issue of nuclear arms reductions is expected to dominate U.S. President Barack Obama’s visit to Moscow July 6-9. The Russian and U.S. leaders agreed to negotiate a replacement to the START-1 treaty at their first meeting in London in April on the sidelines of the G20 summit.

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