A high level Russian government source tells me an nuclear arms agreement to replace the expired START Treaty, (Strategic Reduction Arms Treaty) which was “weeks away” from being finalized in November, and “days away” from a final draft in Dcember, and “close to being finished” in January, is “still not done and not being done for a reason”, “stalled”, “threatened”, and “going sideways” in March.
The source says Russia is disappointed and frusturated with the Obama adminstration because it is “being run now by the hawks”. Translation – those who want to reduce the nuclear stock piles of the two Nations, Russia and America have lost ground to those who mistrust Russia and don’t want to lower the numbers of warheads and launch vehicles in America.
The Russians are angry America is now talking about locating a missle defense shield in Romania and Bulgaria. And the source says Russia, now firmly see’s nuclear talks and discussion of a missile defense shield firmly linked.
A source on the America negotiation team confirms the Russia’s have increasingly raised missile defense at nuclear arms talks in Geneva, even though originally the Russian’s agreed to discuss nuclear warheads separately from the shield issue.
What’s changed? The Russian source tells me Russia had to hear about the missile defense shield proposal for Bulgaria and Romania from sources other than the Obama adminstration. “That is not resetting relations” said the source, referring to America promises to reset relations with Russia and rebuild trust.
Bottom line – The Russians won’t sign a new deal to replace START now (which expired in december) unless their concerns about missile defense are addressed. The two issues formerly delinked, are now married up and that means all the talking between American and Russian negotiators to lower nuclear warheads in both Countries won’t produce a final agreement unless the Russian and American Presidents get involved and sort out the problem.