US and Russia agree to cut arms
Updated on 06 July 2009
The US and Russia have signed a preliminary deal to cut back their stockpiles of nuclear weapons.
The numbers of nuclear warheads will be cut to as few as 1,500 each under the deal - the lowest level under any US-Russia arms control agreement.
After a meeting with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, US President Barack Obama said: "As the world's two leading nuclear powers, the United States and Russia must lead by example, and that's what we are doing here today."
The document signed by the two leaders at the Moscow summit - Mr Obama's first in Russia - is meant as a guide for negotiators as the nations work toward a replacement pact for the Start arms control agreement that expires in December.
The joint understanding signed after about three hours of talks at the Kremlin, also commits the updated treaty to lower longer-range missiles for delivering nuclear bombs to between 500 and 1,100.
The limit for warheads would be no more than 1,675 each.
Under current treaties, each country is allowed a maximum of 2,200 warheads and 1,600 launch vehicles.
A White House statement said the new treaty "will include effective verification measures."
The leaders also announced several other deals meant to show progress towards resetting badly damaged US-Russian relations.
Those included Moscow allowing the US to transport arms across its land and airspace into Afghanistan for the war against the Taliban.
They outlined other ways to work together to help stabilise Afghanistan, including increasing assistance to the Afghan army and police and training counter-narcotics personnel.
A joint statement said the US and Russia welcomed increased international support for upcoming Afghan elections and they were prepared to help Afghanistan and Pakistan work together against the "common threats of terrorism, extremism and drug trafficking".
Mr Obama needs Russia's help to pressure Iran and North Korea to give up their nuclear weapons ambitions, as well as in tackling terrorism, global warming and the economy.
But with relations frayed with Moscow's war with Georgia last year and US missile defence plans in eastern Europe, Mr Obama's desire to reset relations is a huge test of his diplomatic skills.
The summit starts a weeklong trip for Mr Obama that also features G8 meetings and a visit with the pope in Italy, and a speech in Ghana.
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