Score a big one for Obama and the world...

[kristopher]

One of the reasons for my support of Obama was the issue of nuclear proliferation and disarmament. Looks like the disarmament front is going to deliver some substantial results.

Russia ready for deep nuclear arms cuts

AMSTERDAM, June 20 - Russia is ready to dramatically cut its nuclear stockpiles in a new arms pact with the United States if Washington meets Russia’s concerns over missile defence, President Dmitry Medvedev said on Saturday.

”We are ready to reduce by several times the number of nuclear delivery vehicles compared with the START-1 pact,” he told a news conference in Amsterdam.

”As far as warheads are concerned, their numbers should be lower than envisaged by the Moscow 2002 pact,” he added.

He was referring to an interim pact called the Strategic Offensive Reductions Treaty (SORT) which commits the sides to further cuts in their arsenals to between 1,700 and 2,200 warheads by 2012.

A new arms pact to follow the 1991 START treaty, which expires on Dec. 5, is at the centre of efforts by Mr Medvedev and US President Barack Obama to improve bilateral ties which sank to post-Cold War lows under the previous U.S. administration.

A successor treaty aimed at cutting long-range nuclear weapons amassed by the former superpower rivals during the Cold War arms race will be a major topic at talks between Mr Medvedev and Mr Obama in Moscow next month.

Negotiators from both sides are expected to start a new round of consultations on a new pact next week, Mr Medvedev’s spokeswoman Natalya Timakova told reporters...

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/ea4b029c-5d93-11de-a914-00144feabdc0.html?ftcamp=rss&nclick_check=1

[AllentownJake]

1. He is absolutely Brilliant at the International Policy

I voted for him for domestic and was just hoping for sanity internationally.

Who knew the 3am call would be his strong suit. :shrug:

[timeforpeace]

2. "if Washington meets Russia’s concerns over missile defence" Devil's always in

the details. I'm gonna be liking that missle defense if Kim shots one off at us.

[Selatius]

3. If Kim is suicidal, we would have to worry about him.

If he were to launch his missiles at the US, we would fire nuclear warheads at North Korea in retaliation. Kim would be a dead dictator. He knows this. We know this.

[tavalon]

4. MAD still works

[shadowknows69]

5. We might have to ask China and Russia about that first

Before we turn their neighbor into a boiling hole of radioactive goo. Wind and shit ya know? Our allies in S Korea might be a little bummed too.

[shadowknows69]

6. ETA but I'm pretty sure if we said, "you put your rabid dog down or we will"

Then they would either comply or tell us to bring it for the whole ball of wax. I figure 50/50 it could go either way.

[MUAD_DIB]

7. Not to mention Japan to the east.

[Number23]

8. Kicked and Rec'd