Nuclear pact by Russia, US a winner for all nations

News that US and Rusia have struck a deal that will see them reduce their warheads by significant margins are as refreshing as breaking out of peace after a long season of war.

The treaty, which has been hailed as President Barack Obama’s most significant foreign policy achievement so far, will definitely make the world safer.

Under the 10-year treaty, the countries have committed to each reduce its deployed strategic warheads from the 2,200 currently allowed to 1,550. This is nearly a third of the stockpiles held by the world’s biggest nuclear powers. They have also bound themselves to significantly cut on their stockpile of launchers.

The treaty that Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev will sign next month to replace the 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (Start) that expired in December, came after months of diplomatic haggling that was characterised by deadlocks.

Build trust

Although the reduction may not significantly reduce the ability of the countries to wreak havoc in a situation of war — given the sheer destruction capacity of nuclear bombs — it is a step in the right direction and sends the right message. The agreement sends the message that the big two are determined to prevent nuclear proliferation.

The agreement will also serve to build trust between the former cold war enemies and also between nuclear and non-nuclear members of the nuclear proliferation treaty.

The fact that there are many hotspots throughout the globe where countries are on the edge of conflict is adequate reason for the international community to work toward reduction of nuclear weapons. Any spark could lead snowball into a conflagration.

The Russia-US agreement should hopefully lead to the former cold war enemies to nudge North Korea and Iran onto the negotiations table with a view to deterring their nuclear programmes.

We only hope that Republicans who staunchly support missile defence will not seek to deny President Obama the two thirds majority he will require for Senate to back the treaty.