U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken concludes his first press briefing at the State Department in Washington, D.C. on January 27, 2021. (Photo: Carlos Barria/AFP via Getty Images)
'Makes Us All Safer': Biden Admin Announces Five-Year Extension of New START Nuclear Treaty With Russia
"This welcome step is the start of our efforts to pursue effective arms control that lowers the risks of war and helps prevent arms races," said Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
In a widely praised move, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday formally announced a five-year extension of the last existing nuclear arms control treaty with Russia, just two days before the pact was set to expire.
"Extending the New START treaty makes the United States, U.S. allies and partners, and the world safer," Blinken said. "An unconstrained nuclear competition would endanger us all."
"The treaty is an essential guardrail against nuclear arms-racing that imposes equal limits on U.S. and Russian strategic nuclear weapons."
--Derek Johnson, Global Zero
The New START treaty--the only remaining pact regulating the two largest nuclear arsenals in the world--caps the number of offensively deployed nuclear weapons that each country is allowed to have at 1,550 warheads and 700 missiles and bombers.
"This is good news," tweeted Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.). "If New START had not been extended, it could have been the end of decades of arms control diplomacy between the U.S. and Russia."
Murphy added that former President Donald Trump "spent four years diddling on this issue," leaving President Joe Biden with just two weeks to negotiate an extension.
Biden reached out to Moscow on January 21 with an offer to extend the treaty, which was set to expire on February 5, as Common Dreams reported at the time.
The State Department's announcement of the five-year extension comes one week after the Russian parliament voted unanimously to extend the treaty, Politico reported Wednesday. Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a bill prolonging the agreement last Friday.
Derek Johnson, chief executive officer of Global Zero, an international movement for the elimination of nuclear weapons, said in a statement last month that "the treaty is an essential guardrail against nuclear arms-racing that imposes equal limits on U.S. and Russian strategic nuclear weapons. Both countries are in full compliance with the agreement, and its intrusive verification provisions ensure neither side can cheat without detection."
"Unless you're a defense contractor," Johnson added, "this is good news for everyone."
Blinken called the extension a "welcome step" and "the start of our efforts to pursue effective arms control that lowers the risks of war and helps prevent arms races."
The U.S. "will also pursue arms control to reduce the dangers from China's modern and growing nuclear arsenal," the secretary of state added. "The United States is committed to effective arms control that enhances stability, transparency, and predictability while reducing the risks of costly, dangerous arms races."
Acknowledging that the extension of the New START treaty "makes us all safer," Paul Kawika Martin, senior director for policy and political affairs at Peace Action, called on the Biden administration to go further by reducing national spending on nuclear weapons, which increased under Trump.
"We all wonder, will the new administration's budget reduce Trump's skyrocketing nuclear weapons spending at amounts that could fund several Departments of State?" Martin asked in a statement last month.
In a tweet last week, Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) welcomed the fact that the treaty would be extended and added, "We now need more bold action to remove the 'nuclear sword of Damocles' that hangs over us all."
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. Our Fall Campaign is underway, and we need your help. To power our newsroom through the rest of the year, we need to raise $125,000 by midnight on October 31. So if you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
In a widely praised move, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday formally announced a five-year extension of the last existing nuclear arms control treaty with Russia, just two days before the pact was set to expire.
"Extending the New START treaty makes the United States, U.S. allies and partners, and the world safer," Blinken said. "An unconstrained nuclear competition would endanger us all."
"The treaty is an essential guardrail against nuclear arms-racing that imposes equal limits on U.S. and Russian strategic nuclear weapons."
--Derek Johnson, Global Zero
The New START treaty--the only remaining pact regulating the two largest nuclear arsenals in the world--caps the number of offensively deployed nuclear weapons that each country is allowed to have at 1,550 warheads and 700 missiles and bombers.
"This is good news," tweeted Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.). "If New START had not been extended, it could have been the end of decades of arms control diplomacy between the U.S. and Russia."
Murphy added that former President Donald Trump "spent four years diddling on this issue," leaving President Joe Biden with just two weeks to negotiate an extension.
Biden reached out to Moscow on January 21 with an offer to extend the treaty, which was set to expire on February 5, as Common Dreams reported at the time.
The State Department's announcement of the five-year extension comes one week after the Russian parliament voted unanimously to extend the treaty, Politico reported Wednesday. Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a bill prolonging the agreement last Friday.
Derek Johnson, chief executive officer of Global Zero, an international movement for the elimination of nuclear weapons, said in a statement last month that "the treaty is an essential guardrail against nuclear arms-racing that imposes equal limits on U.S. and Russian strategic nuclear weapons. Both countries are in full compliance with the agreement, and its intrusive verification provisions ensure neither side can cheat without detection."
"Unless you're a defense contractor," Johnson added, "this is good news for everyone."
Blinken called the extension a "welcome step" and "the start of our efforts to pursue effective arms control that lowers the risks of war and helps prevent arms races."
The U.S. "will also pursue arms control to reduce the dangers from China's modern and growing nuclear arsenal," the secretary of state added. "The United States is committed to effective arms control that enhances stability, transparency, and predictability while reducing the risks of costly, dangerous arms races."
Acknowledging that the extension of the New START treaty "makes us all safer," Paul Kawika Martin, senior director for policy and political affairs at Peace Action, called on the Biden administration to go further by reducing national spending on nuclear weapons, which increased under Trump.
"We all wonder, will the new administration's budget reduce Trump's skyrocketing nuclear weapons spending at amounts that could fund several Departments of State?" Martin asked in a statement last month.
In a tweet last week, Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) welcomed the fact that the treaty would be extended and added, "We now need more bold action to remove the 'nuclear sword of Damocles' that hangs over us all."
In a widely praised move, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday formally announced a five-year extension of the last existing nuclear arms control treaty with Russia, just two days before the pact was set to expire.
"Extending the New START treaty makes the United States, U.S. allies and partners, and the world safer," Blinken said. "An unconstrained nuclear competition would endanger us all."
"The treaty is an essential guardrail against nuclear arms-racing that imposes equal limits on U.S. and Russian strategic nuclear weapons."
--Derek Johnson, Global Zero
The New START treaty--the only remaining pact regulating the two largest nuclear arsenals in the world--caps the number of offensively deployed nuclear weapons that each country is allowed to have at 1,550 warheads and 700 missiles and bombers.
"This is good news," tweeted Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.). "If New START had not been extended, it could have been the end of decades of arms control diplomacy between the U.S. and Russia."
Murphy added that former President Donald Trump "spent four years diddling on this issue," leaving President Joe Biden with just two weeks to negotiate an extension.
Biden reached out to Moscow on January 21 with an offer to extend the treaty, which was set to expire on February 5, as Common Dreams reported at the time.
The State Department's announcement of the five-year extension comes one week after the Russian parliament voted unanimously to extend the treaty, Politico reported Wednesday. Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a bill prolonging the agreement last Friday.
Derek Johnson, chief executive officer of Global Zero, an international movement for the elimination of nuclear weapons, said in a statement last month that "the treaty is an essential guardrail against nuclear arms-racing that imposes equal limits on U.S. and Russian strategic nuclear weapons. Both countries are in full compliance with the agreement, and its intrusive verification provisions ensure neither side can cheat without detection."
"Unless you're a defense contractor," Johnson added, "this is good news for everyone."
Blinken called the extension a "welcome step" and "the start of our efforts to pursue effective arms control that lowers the risks of war and helps prevent arms races."
The U.S. "will also pursue arms control to reduce the dangers from China's modern and growing nuclear arsenal," the secretary of state added. "The United States is committed to effective arms control that enhances stability, transparency, and predictability while reducing the risks of costly, dangerous arms races."
Acknowledging that the extension of the New START treaty "makes us all safer," Paul Kawika Martin, senior director for policy and political affairs at Peace Action, called on the Biden administration to go further by reducing national spending on nuclear weapons, which increased under Trump.
"We all wonder, will the new administration's budget reduce Trump's skyrocketing nuclear weapons spending at amounts that could fund several Departments of State?" Martin asked in a statement last month.
In a tweet last week, Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) welcomed the fact that the treaty would be extended and added, "We now need more bold action to remove the 'nuclear sword of Damocles' that hangs over us all."