The New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), introduced by Presidents Obama and Medvedev a decade ago, marked significant progress in bilateral nuclear reductions by the United States and Russia.
However, there have been grave concerns that the Treaty will not be renewed, leaving the world without any international agreements on nuclear reduction or restraint. President Trump’s recent withdrawal from a number of key treaties – most recently the Open Skies Treaty – has plunged the world into greater uncertainty and danger.
Responding to the news that negotiations will resume on New START, Kate Hudson said:
“This is a welcome development. The New Start Treaty is due to expire in February 2021, and while the agreement has an option to renew for a further five years, it has seemed that President Trump would also opt to trash this Treaty as well as a string of others.
“Through his insistence on Chinese participation – despite the fact that China’s arsenal is a tiny fraction of those of the US and Russia – Trump may still derail the process.
“But it is in the interest of the entire international community that nuclear reductions to the world’s two largest nuclear arsenals continue and we urge the UK government to prevail upon the US administration to secure the future of this agreement.”