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U.S., Russia agree to reduce warheads

At the beginning of a three-day summit with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, U.S. President George W. Bush said Nov. 13 that the United States will reduce its number of nuclear warheads by more than two-thirds.

In a speech at the Russian Embassy in Washington on the same day, Putin said that Moscow would answer with similar cuts.

Putin said he wanted a written treaty to formalize the reductions. A written treaty is something Bush views as unnecessary.

The mutual cuts would bring the two country's number of nuclear weapons to a level not seen since the 1960s.

At the same time, the U.S. made clear its determination to move beyond the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Mis sile treaty and continue work on a controversial national missile defense system.

Putin, who is opposed to a U.S. missile defense shield, views the treaty as an essential cornerstone of the strategic relationship between the two countries.

Bush said he did not expect a breakthrough on the subject during the summit. Top U.S. aides said specifically they did not expect an agreement on the ABM treaty during Putin's visit. The second half of the summit moves from Washington to Bush's Texas ranch.

Shukan ST: Nov. 23, 2001

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