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Putin to put in STARTII not starting STARTIII |
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August 4, 2000
MOSCOW (AP) - President Vladimir Putin on Thursday reiterated promises to fulfill the START II arms reduction treaty, and pushed for concluding a START III treaty that would further cut Russian and U.S. nuclear weapons. START II, which would slash both countries' nuclear arsenals to between 3,000 and 3,500 warheads each, was ratified by Russian parliament this spring, after years of delay by the Communist opposition. Moscow and Washington are also considering START III, which would set ceilings of 2,000 to 2,500 warheads each. "The Russian leadership has consistently supported the strengthening of the regime of nonproliferation of nuclear weapons, and is taking steps to continue the process of nuclear disarmament," Putin said in a letter of greeting to Britain's Pugwash Conference on Science and World Affairs. "Having ratified START II, Russia intends to work on ensuring its implementation and full observation, as well as the speediest conclusion of START III treaty," Putin's message said. Still, Russia has threatened to scrap all arms agreements if the United States proceeds with proposals to deploy a new missile defense system. Such a system would likely require Washington to back out of the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, which Moscow considers a cornerstone of global stability. Putin was in his lakeside Valdai resort residence in northern Russia on Thursday. He hosted a meeting with regional officials on the economic and social development of Russia's northwest. |
