Russia calls for halving n-arms

By Vladimir Radyuhin

MOSCOW, NOV. 13. Russia is mounting a new disarmament offensive, with the President, Mr. Vladimir Putin, proposing slashing the Russian and American nuclear arsenals by half.

Mr Putin called for cutting strategic nuclear warheads to 1,500 by the year 2008, down from the level of 3,000-3,500 warheads envisaged by the 1993 START-2 treaty.

``As is well known, we proposed to the United States, including at the highest level, to aim towards a radical reduction in nuclear warheads of our countries to 1,500, which is perfectly attainable by 2008,'' Mr. Putin said in a statement released by his press service on Monday. ``But, this is not the limit. We are ready in the future to consider still lower levels.''

The Russian proposal, announced on the eve of Mr. Putin's talks with the U.S. President, Mr. Bill Clinton, in Brunei later this week, is clearly designed to stake out Moscow's bargaining position ahead of a change of guard in the White House in January.

Mr. Putin reiterated Russia's opposition to the U.S. proposal to modify the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty to enable Washington to build a strategic missile defence.

The proposed nuclear weapons cuts ``should be carried out in conditions of preserving and strengthening the 1972 ABM Treaty,'' the Kremlin statement said.

The Russian leader on Monday embarked on a tour of Asia which will take him to Mongolia and an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Brunei.

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Section  : International
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