TPMDC
Gibbs: U.S. And Russia Will Continue START Treaty
President Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev
Share
Send to a friend!
White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said it is "unlikely" the outstanding issues between the U.S. and Russia will be resolved in the next 24 hours so the two world powers will instead issue a joint statement agreeing to continue the expiring nuclear arms START treaty until the new agreement is inked.
Gibbs said President Obama spoke with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and they agreed on the statement, which the Kremlin has already sent out a day early.
The treaty expires Dec. 5 and the statement agrees to keep with what is in place now for an indefinite period.
Gibbs declined to discuss the sticking points but said he believes they can "work through" them and come to a new agreement.
Comments (1) | Join the Conversation!
Leave a comment
Follow us!
Most Popular
TPM Stories Now Surging on Digg.com
TPM Top News
© 2010 TPM Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
sunnysteve
December 4, 2009 11:23 AM
This would not have happened under Bush or a McCain administration. Obama quickly and quietly moved to defuse tensions with Russia that were unnecessarily heightened by GWB's cowboy mentality toward international relations. Obama is both capable of complex thinking and lacking in a need to prove himself as a man. Bush was disdainful of anything intellectual and much too eager for bravado. McCain has shown himself to be an extremely weak thinker and quite simplistic in his world view. Nuclear issues trump all other international challenges. Obama has always had this understanding and has always been focused on it as a priority.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?