4. US-Russia START III Talks
The US and Russia held talks in Geneva last week aimed at negotiating a START III nuclear reductions treaty. Russia pushed for cutting the number of strategic nuclear warheads held by each side to 1,500, but US negotiators have held out for 2,000 to 2,500 warheads. US State Department spokesman James Rubin explained that the US military had concluded in 1997 that 2,000-2,500 strategic offensive nuclear warheads were "necessary for deterrence." The United States also urged Russia to amend the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, intimating that Russian flexibility on the ABM Treaty might influence talks on deep cuts in arsenals of nuclear warheads.
"Russia: Cut Arsenals to 1,500 Warheads"
"US Puts Floor On START III Cuts."