Seems to be a Possible Snag in the START Treaty Resolution from America

Update: (12/24/2010):

The resolution of the US Senate on the START treaty has no legal force, says the Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. He was speaking in Moscow earlier today. Lavrov described the claims that non-nuclear missiles do not fall under the new treaty as failing to meet reality. Russia’s topmost diplomat pointed out that the START treaty text has from the outset seen non-nuclear strategic arms as part of the general arms ceilings that are subject to reductions. “This, along with the ABM issue, was a key provision of Russia’s position”, Lavrov said. The US Senate has already ratified the Russian-American treaty on strategic arms reductions. The treaty is now under consideration by the Russian Parliament’s lower house, the State Duma. (Link)

Looks like this may get interesting. Has America changed the fundamentals?

Original Article Below:

The Kremlin has expressed a concern about the new START resolution that is being sent from America.

Boris Gryzlov a speaker in the lower house of parliament said, the text of the resolution approved by the U.S. Senate is not yet available to the State Duma but that it will arrive within a few hours’ time.”There is information that the resolution contains several conditions,” Gryzlov said. “Unless the conditions concern the wording of the treaty, we may ratify the treaty tomorrow.”

“However, if there have been changes in the text of the treaty, we will have to work on the issue,” he added. (Link)

Russia has made it clear that acceptance will only happen if the wording is not changed. If you remember correctly that Russia has already tore up the ratification that they had ready because of 30 changes that America had to the treaty…

Medvedev has also welcomed the START Treaty resolution but said that “The parliament might need some time to study the legal aspects of the ratification by the Senate prior to making its own decision.” his spokeswoman Natalya Timakova said. (This was in conjunction with the knowledge that things have been changed.)

8 months ago this treaty was signed by Medvedev and Obama. Very quickly after that it was ready for ratification (as it stood) by Russia. Russia had no need for changes or demands.

Has America at the last minute before Christmas has passed this resolution and tossed it back at Russia? Not in its original form as Russia has accepted…

As the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has expressed in a news meeting today: Lavrov said as he stressed that “the arms reduction agreement could not be amended. The document cannot be reopened and negotiated again…”

What he means is that the two presidents (Medvedev and Obama) made the treaty and that is the way it is to stand. The details are done and in black and white. It has been signed, seal and delivered…

Is this what is happening? Has the START Treaty been altered in anyway? What will Russia do if it has been changed?

Russia has been preparing for this very thing to happen and it has been obvious in the last few months with all the news “bits and bites” going on. So I know what Russia is going to do about a failed treaty…

I hope that this is not true but the rumors are flying at the chess matches today… 🙂

Windows to Russia!

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