Obama And Medvedev Sign Historic Treaty

Posted by | April 8, 2010 11:56 | Filed under: Top Stories


President Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev have signed the biggest arms agreement in a generation.

The pact commits their nations to slash the number of strategic nuclear warheads by one-third and more than halve the number of missiles, submarines and bombers carrying them.

That still leaves the two countries with enough nuclear firepower to ensure mutual destruction several times over, but the move sets a foundation for deeper reductions, which both sides are already pursuing.

“It sends a signal around the world that the United States and Russia are prepared to once again take leadership,” Obama said moments after he and Medvedev signed the treaty in a gleaming, ornate hall in the Czech Republic’s presidential castle.

Said the Russian president: “The entire world community has won.”

After seven years, each country will have a third less nuclear warheads, shrinking from 2200 to 1550.

The nuclear arms pact now faces a ratification vote in the Russian legislature and the U.S. Senate. At home, Obama’s team is struggling to get the necessary votes, and the president himself is directly involved. He said he was confident that Democrats and Republicans would see that the treaty protects U.S. interests — an upbeat view of bipartisanship in a town where its been scarce.

“I feel confident that we are going to be able to get it ratified,” Obama said.

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Copyright 2010 Liberaland
By: Alan

Alan Colmes is the publisher of Liberaland.

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