State Department Arms Negotiator: Strategic Arms Agreement With Russia Possible Despite Moscow’s Opposition

Arms Control Mania -- Washington Free Beacon

State arms official: Further strategic agreement with Russia possible despite Moscow’s opposition.

OMAHA—A senior State Department arms negotiator said Thursday that Russian opposition to holding a new round of arms control talks does not mean a second strategic arms pact is out of reach.

Rose Gottemoeller, acting undersecretary of state for arms control and international security, also said that a State Department advisory board will report soon on whether U.S. nuclear forces can be cut very sharply and eventually be eliminated.

Gottemoeller said her predecessor, Ellen Tauscher, asked the State Department International Security Advisory Board to see how the United States could shift from “mutually assured destruction to mutually assured stability.”

Read more ....

My Comment: Sometimes I wonder if the U.S. government reads or watches what is being said in Russia on this issue .... and (in case anyone wants to know) what has been said in Moscow is very clear .... Russia has no interest in pursuing another nuclear arms agreement with the U.S. as long as America's missile defense program exists. Of course .... the Kremlin can turn around and embarrass themselves by saying that they will now talk with the U.S. .... but I doubt it. As to acting undersecretary of state for arms control Rose Gottemoeller .... she is dreaming if she thinks that Russia will go to the table and have the discussion that she is clearly hoping that they will.