JRL NEWSWATCH: “START II is a chance to renew relations between Russia and the West” – bne Intellinews/ Ben Aris

“… [With the agreement] due to expire in February … START treaty [renewal] is a golden opportunity for the West to squeeze … real concessions out of Russia… [T]he Kremlin badly wants to renew the deal. … [I]ts economy suffering from the double whammy of an oil price collapse and … the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the last thing [Russia] wants is … a new arms race, which is what failing to renew the START deal would lead to. For once the West has some real leverage over Moscow, which has repeatedly asked for talks ….”

Click here for: “START II is a chance to renew relations between Russia and the West; The West’s default diplomatic tool for trying to change Russia’s way is sanctions, and they don’t work very well. But with the START II missile treaty that is due to expire in February for once the West has some real leverage over Moscow and should use it.” – bne Intellinews/ Ben Aris