Obama holds out prospect of US nuclear arms cuts
Source: Agencies |
March 27, 2012, Tuesday
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US President Barack Obama yesterday vowed to pursue further nuclear arms cuts with Russia.
Acknowledging that the US had more warheads than necessary, Obama held out the prospect of new reductions in the US arsenal as he sought to rally world leaders for additional concrete steps against the threat of nuclear terrorism.
"We can already say with confidence that we have more nuclear weapons than we need," Obama told students at South Korea's Hankuk University a few hours before a global nuclear security summit opened in Seoul.
He pledged a new arms-control push with incoming Russian President Vladimir Putin when they meet in May. But any further reductions would face stiff election-year opposition from Republicans in Congress who already accuse him of weakening America's nuclear deterrent.
Obama voiced confidence that the US and Russia, which reached a landmark arms-control treaty in 2010, "can continue to make progress and reduce our nuclear stockpiles."
He said: "I firmly believe that we can ensure the security of the United States and our allies, maintain a strong deterrent against any threat, and still pursue further reductions in our nuclear arsenal."
Another arms accord will be a tough sell to conservatives who say Obama has not moved fast enough to modernize the US strategic arsenal, a pledge he made in return for Republican votes that helped ratify the START treaty.
Obama said he wanted to take arms talks with the Russians to a new level. "We'll continue to seek discussions with Russia on a step we have never taken before - reducing not only our strategic nuclear warheads, but also tactical weapons and warheads in reserve."
Acknowledging that the US had more warheads than necessary, Obama held out the prospect of new reductions in the US arsenal as he sought to rally world leaders for additional concrete steps against the threat of nuclear terrorism.
"We can already say with confidence that we have more nuclear weapons than we need," Obama told students at South Korea's Hankuk University a few hours before a global nuclear security summit opened in Seoul.
He pledged a new arms-control push with incoming Russian President Vladimir Putin when they meet in May. But any further reductions would face stiff election-year opposition from Republicans in Congress who already accuse him of weakening America's nuclear deterrent.
Obama voiced confidence that the US and Russia, which reached a landmark arms-control treaty in 2010, "can continue to make progress and reduce our nuclear stockpiles."
He said: "I firmly believe that we can ensure the security of the United States and our allies, maintain a strong deterrent against any threat, and still pursue further reductions in our nuclear arsenal."
Another arms accord will be a tough sell to conservatives who say Obama has not moved fast enough to modernize the US strategic arsenal, a pledge he made in return for Republican votes that helped ratify the START treaty.
Obama said he wanted to take arms talks with the Russians to a new level. "We'll continue to seek discussions with Russia on a step we have never taken before - reducing not only our strategic nuclear warheads, but also tactical weapons and warheads in reserve."
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