NEWSWATCH: “Kremlin: Talks to Decide Future of Nuclear Pact With US” – AP

February 10, 2017 JRL Russia List Nuclear, Missile Defense

“The possibility of extending a pivotal Russia-U.S. arms control pact is to be discussed in prospective talks …. Peskov[] said the prospects of extending the New START Treaty … set to expire in 2021 will ‘depend on the position of our American partners’ and require negotiations. … the 2010 pact … limited Russian and U.S. nuclear arsenals to no more than 1,550 deployed nuclear warheads each. … While suggesting possible cooperation with Moscow to fight the Islamic State group in Syria, as a candidate Trump was critical of the New START and talked about a need to strengthen U.S. nuclear arsenals. … Putin also has said that strengthening Russia’s nuclear capabilities should be among the priorities for the nation. … [Russian Ambassador Sergei] Kislyak told Russian media in Washington that he sees little chance for a compromise on missile defense ….”