COULD THE U.S. AND RUSSIA EXTEND LAST NUCLEAR WEAPONS TREATY?, Pg13.

Key Highlights:

• President Trump considered President Putin's offer to maintain voluntary limits on deployed strategic nuclear weapons for a year as a "good idea".
• The offer was based on the New START Treaty, the last remaining arms control treaty between Russia and the US.
• The New START Treaty, signed in 2010 and extended in 2021, is set to expire on February 5, 2026.
• Russia and the US possess approximately 87% of the world's nuclear weapons.

Detailed Insights:

• The START Treaty was created out of fear of nuclear war, promoting transparency to reduce misunderstandings and slow down the arms race.
• Russia has 5,459 nuclear warheads, while the United States possesses 5,177, according to the Federation of American Scientists.
• Tactical nuclear weapons, typically short-range, are usually excluded from nuclear weapons treaties; Russia possesses about 1,477 non-strategic warheads, while the US has about 200.
• Russia has expressed concerns about the US's "preparations for deploying interceptors in space" and a possible resumption of nuclear testing.
• Golden Dome project is a $175-billion project that would create a network of satellites to detect, track and potentially intercept incoming missiles.
• Russia suggests that if China is involved in arms control, Britain and France should be included as well.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Strategic Weapons: Long-range weapons designed to influence the outcome of a war by destroying key infrastructure.
• Tactical Nuclear Weapons: Short-range weapons generally excluded from nuclear weapons treaties.
• Arms Control Treaty: An agreement between nations to limit the production, testing, or deployment of weapons.