US not to sign arms control treaty with Russia this week
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U.S. President Barack Obama has no plan to sign an arms control treaty with Russia during his trip to Denmark's Copenhagen this week, according to the White House on Tuesday.
"We are not planning currently for a signing ceremony in Copenhagen," White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said in a regular briefing. He also said Obama wasn't planning to visit any other country in that region.
Obama is scheduled to be in Copenhagen Friday for the climate summit there, and it is widely speculated he would sign a replacement treaty of the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev when both leaders are there.
The Unite States and Russia are trying to reach a new nuclear arms control treaty to replace START, which expired on Dec. 5.
Obama and Medvedev have agreed to reduce their countries' nuclear arsenals with a new treaty, under which the nuclear warheads each side holds will be reduced to 1,500 to 1,675, while the carrier vehicles will be limited to 500 to 1,000.
Gibbs said the United States and Russia are making progress on negotiations for the treaty, and he hopes an agreement will be reached soon.
The two presidents vowed to work together in the spirit of START following its expiration, in order to ensure that a new treaty on strategic arms enter into force at the earliest possible date.
