Can Russia and the USA come to terms on the curb and control of Nukes?

Much speculation surrounds whether Russia and the United States can reach an agreement over the signing of a nuclear weapons contract designed to curb and control nuclear weapons production, deployment and research. However, it seems that neither party is willing to engage in a new contract over a dispute as to what the rules actually should be. A proposal to extend the deal by Russia has been rejected by the United States,

This could lead to a ‘lack of trust’ between both parties as they enter a potential new arms race.

Russia and the United States are undeniably the world’s most powerful nuclear armed nations; with thousands of warheads between them, stockpiled as a result of tensions during the Cold War, and continuing today as both nations seek to use the deterrence theory to dominate each other across the global arena.

The so-called NEW START, or the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty was designed to curb the nuclear arms held by both nations. But a proposal to extend the deal by Russia has been rejected by the United States.

New start

Questions are being asked as to whether Russia and the United States can come to an agreement over the signing of a nuclear weapons contract designed to curb and control nuclear weapons production, deployment and research.

The Russian versus American viewpoint

President Vladimir Putin of Russia has pointed out that the arrangement has worked perfectly to limit and contain nuclear weapons in the hope of preventing a new nuclear arms race, unseen since the Cold War ended.

“All those years, the new START has worked, playing its fundamental role of limiting and containing an arms race.”

Vladimir Putin, President of Russia

However, there is clearly a difference of opinion emerging over the deal, with the US National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien claiming that the deal could go ahead provided both parties cap all nuclear warheads during the period.

“The United States proposed an extension of New START for one year, in exchange for Russia and the United States capping all nuclear warheads during that period.”

Robert O’Brien, US National Security Advisor

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The weapons capping blame game

It would seem that the Russian President is against capping the weapons, which is why the U.S. has claimed that such a deal is a non-starter as it fails to control the distribution and production of nuclear weapons.

“President Putin’s response today to extend New START without freezing nuclear warheads is a non-starter.”

Robert O’Brien, US National Security Advisor

On the other hand however, Russia has placed the blame firmly at the feet of the Americans, stating that the US must withdraw its nuclear arsenal from Europe.

“Russia cannot agree to the US proposal to limit battlefield nuclear weapons alongside nuclear warheads that arm strategic missiles and bombers until the US agrees to withdraw its tactical nuclear weapons from Europe.”

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The US will continue producing nuclear weapons

So does the US rejection mean then that the US wants to continue producing weapons, and to maintain its powerful arsenal on Russia’s doorstep as part of the deal? How fair is this?

“Well, the United States has rejected Russia's offer outright. I think because there's now a very uprated anti Russian feeling. Since the Russians were forced out of the G8, the G7. I mean, effectively, you know, that was a way of inviting the Russians into the western fold. And that happened you know really while Putin was still around, but it was a fall over from the early Yeltsin days when the West assumed that the oligarchs were going to act as secret agents within Russia gonna bring them over to the Swiss the British the American designers camp, and that didn't happen because Putin's put a stop to it in the Kremlin, and he basically nailed one or two of the top oligarchs and made it very clear that the Kremlin was running the country not Swiss oligarchs or Israeli oligarchs or anybody else.”

Tony Gosling, Investigative Journalist

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Balance of power at tipping point

It seems that the US is trying to upset the balance of power when it comes to nuclear weapons with Trump trying to conduct talks in line with a favourable outcome for the United States. With a nuclear arsenal across Eastern Europe, nuclear bombers in the Indian Ocean, and endless military bases in the region, are the Russians right to question Trump’s demands?

Yet it seems that the Russians and Americans are not the only threat to the nuclear arms race and global proliferation, as emerging states also fall into the equation, with North Korea, China and others in possession of such weapons showing that any global nuclear agreements may have to include more than just two parties.

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To START or not to START

The United States it seems is trying to chop and change the wording of the rules in order to suit its own needs, hence almost playing a blame game when it comes to types of weapons, and when and how they are deployed, suggesting that the U.S. is solely looking for excuses not to sign a new treaty.

“Yeah, well I mean he said that, that's why I think we're seeing open rebellion by the United States against Russia. By pompeyo and by NATO, because they realise that that there's no point in trying to take them on, they're gonna have to just simply fight in some way or other. They can't take them on the diplomatic field because they've been beaten. Sergei Lavrov the Russian Foreign Minister, people around the world see him as the great Grandmaster of chess in the world. He wins every game, and Pompeo, the Zionists and NATO are really just getting annoyed and upset and they're losing their temper.”

Tony Gosling, Investigative Journalist

Yet when one looks at the current global arena, it seems that the rules and players have changed across the world, with more than one nation currently in possession of nuclear weapons.

Pyongyang enjoying nuclear deterence

Aside from the natural tussle for power between the Americans and the Russians, North Korea has also emerged as a nation that the US believes is a threat to their security, in particular with Pyongyang also enjoying the notion of a nuclear deterrent.

China has also shown that as both a nuclear capable nation, and an economic powerhouse, it too can threaten the US hegemony on the world order, and hence is something that Washington can also not forget when calculating its foreign policies.

With Trump letting slip about a batch of ‘secret’ nuclear weapons on the production lines, could the unstable and clearly delusional US President use his last days to let an arms race go just one stage too far?

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