U.S.-Russian Strategic Deal Possible Soon

U.S. and Russian leaders could sign a “strategic framework” this weekend to guide future nuclear arms control between the two former Cold War adversaries, the Associated Press reported today (see GSN, March 28).

The plan has a lower profile than talks over U.S. plans to deploy missile defenses in Europe (see related GSN story, today), but it could have long-range implications.

“The Cold War is over," said U.S. President George W. Bush in a speech today in Romania.  “Russia is not our enemy.  We are working toward a new security relationship with Russia whose foundation does not rest on the prospect of mutual annihilation.”

An official in Moscow said there was hope for a document signing when Bush meets Russian President Vladimir Putin in Russia.

“We proceed from the assumption that we will succeed in completing the work and that it will be adopted in some form," said Russian spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

Russia has been particularly concerned with maintaining a vestige of the 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, which is due to expire in late 2009.  The Bush administration has eschewed detailed arms control talks, but has held meetings to discuss Russian concerns (see GSN, Feb. 4).

By agreeing to a long-range plan, the two presidents could achieve a lasting mark that has so far avoided them, one expert said.

“Both have invested a lot in this relationship, but they haven't had a big payoff,” said Andrew Kuchins of the Center for Strategic and International Studies.  “I think they would like to reverse that trajectory.”

Kuchins suggested the chances of completing the framework were good.

“What drives me to be optimistic is that fundamentally we are not a threat to Russia and Russia is not a threat to us,” he said (Barry Schweid, Associated Press/Google News, April 2).

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