Washington, DC – Today, President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitri Medvedev launched negotiations for a new nuclear arms treaty. The current treaty governing nuclear arms – known as the START Treaty – expires in December of 2009.
Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley, who worked on nuclear arms issues as a defense policy analyst at the Pentagon and Congressional Budget Office, made the following statement on the announcement:
“One of the major threats facing our world is the possibility of nuclear war. Reducing the number of nuclear weapons held by the United States and Russia is critical for reducing that threat, so I am very pleased President Obama and President Medvedev will soon begin negotiating a new nuclear arms treaty. Negotiation of a successful agreement would also strengthen U.S. efforts to prevent additional development and possession of nuclear weapons, resulting in a safer world.”
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