Biden-Putin Sign Joint Statement on Strategic Stability

Sputnik News Report
"New START Extension is Our Commitment to Nuclear Control
Reaffirming the Principle That Nuclear War Cannot Be Won
and Must Never Be Fought"

Talks Ended in Just 3 Hours and 30 Minutes, Shorter Than Expected
Gifts Also Exchanged

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Hee-jong] U.S. President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a summit in Geneva, Switzerland, on the 16th (local time) and signed a joint statement on strategic stability, Sputnik News reported.

According to the news agency, the two leaders stated in the declaration, "We note that the United States and Russia have demonstrated progress toward the shared goal of ensuring predictability in the strategic domain and reducing the risks of armed conflict and the threat of nuclear war, even during periods of tension."

They continued, "The recent extension of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) demonstrates our commitment to nuclear arms control," adding, "Today (the 16th), we reaffirmed the principle that nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought."

Furthermore, "In line with these objectives, the United States and Russia will jointly initiate comprehensive bilateral strategic stability talks in the near future," and emphasized that "through these careful and robust talks, we aim to lay the groundwork for future arms control and risk reduction measures."

The New START treaty was signed in April 2010 by then-U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.

The treaty aims to reduce the number of deployed nuclear warheads to fewer than 1,550 and limit delivery vehicles such as intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs), and strategic bombers to fewer than 700.

This agreement continues the legacy of the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) signed in July 1991 between the United States and the former Soviet Union, which focused on reducing nuclear warheads and ICBMs. The New START treaty, effective from February 5, 2011, had a 10-year term with a provision allowing a five-year extension if both parties agreed.

Ahead of the New START expiration, the U.S. and Russia exchanged diplomatic notes in January at the Russian Foreign Ministry building in Moscow to extend the treaty for five years. Following the completion of internal procedures for ratification in both countries, the extension took effect in February.

Meanwhile, the summit held in the library on the first floor of Villa La Grange in Geneva, Switzerland, lasted about three hours and 30 minutes. Initially, it was expected to proceed over four to five hours, including a small-group meeting, a first expanded meeting, a short break, and a second expanded meeting, but it ended earlier than scheduled.

Regarding this, the White House explained that the time was shortened by combining the first and second expanded meetings. The small-group meeting lasted 1 hour and 33 minutes from 1:44 p.m., and the combined expanded meeting lasted 1 hour and 27 minutes starting at 4 p.m.

During the meeting, President Biden and President Vladimir Putin exchanged gifts. According to TASS and other agencies, President Biden gave President Putin a crystal sculpture shaped like a bison and pilot glasses. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov introduced that President Putin gifted President Biden a set of Russian folk crafts.