Reaching an agreement with Russia on the START extension will be one of Joseph Biden’s priorities immediately after taking office as US President. This was announced by the head of the American Arms Control Association Daryl Kimball.
In the United States, START-3 is called the new START.
“One of the key priorities of President-elect Biden in the very first days of his stay in power will be to reach an agreement with Russia to extend the New START Treaty until February 5, 2021,” the expert noted.
Kimball believes that Moscow should have proposed to Washington to extend START-3 as long as possible, that is, five years.
In his opinion, Russia and the United States, despite the contradictions, are obliged to find ways to establish more effective bilateral cooperation.
“The current Russian and interceding American leadership will remain divided on a wide range of issues, including the conflict in Syria and the continued role of the Russian Federation in Ukraine, and both governments need to work together in a more effective way,” Kimball said.
The expert clarified that he means preventing a new nuclear arms race, as well as reducing the risk of a nuclear conflict. According to him, the United States and the Russian Federation have a special responsibility for reducing nuclear danger, since they possess 90% of the world’s arsenal of nuclear warheads.
The expert stressed that the parties should also start negotiations on the subsequent reduction of nuclear weapons. The extension of the New START Treaty and the provision of further reductions in US and Russian nuclear weapons will involve China and other nuclear states in the process of reducing nuclear danger, Kimball is sure.