Obama, Medvedev sign nuclear arms reduction treaty

Since the end of the Cold War, Americans and Russians have by and large not had to worry about the threat of a nuclear attack between the two superpowers. Now the two nations presidents, President Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, have signed a major nuclear arms control treaty that will further reduce nuclear stockpiles and launchers for both nations as the two work towards a world free of the "bomb."

"This day demonstrates the determination of the United States and Russia - the two nations that hold over 90 percent of the world's nuclear weapons - to pursue responsible global leadership," Obama said after the signing.

The two presidents met in Prague today to sign the new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty - known as START - that builds on the previous agreement that expired in December. There had been a halt in talks over the new treaty, after Russian leaders became disgruntled when President Obama announced intentions to build a missile-defense system in Eastern Europe - specifically angered by news that Romania had agreed to let the U.S. build missile interceptors within their boarders.

But after a year of negotiations, the two sides reached an agreement that marks what President Obama called an effort to "reset" the U.S. relationship with Russia.

The new treaty limits both nations to 1,550 nuclear warheads within seven years. There are also limits on launchers and it creates a "verification regime" that includes on-site inspections, data exchanges and notifications. The treaty, however, does not "contain any constraints on testing, development or deployment of current or planned U.S. missile defense programs or current or planned United States long-range conventional strike capabilities."

"It significantly reduces missiles and launchers," Obama said of the new 10-year treaty. "It puts in place a strong and effective verification regime. And it maintains the flexibility that we need to protect and advance our national security, and to guarantee our unwavering commitment to the security of our allies."

"This agreement enhances strategic ability and, at the same time, allows us to rise to a higher level of cooperation between Russia and the United States," Medvedev said.

The signing of the treaty comes just days after President Obama announced a new plan to limit the conditions under which the U.S. would use nuclear weapons. His decision is a dramatic shift from his predecessors view of how to use nuclear weapons and also intends to revamp our use of the weapon to deal with a new era in which terrorist organizations are a bigger threat than traditional powers. The new policy makes it so the U.S. will explicitly commit to not use nuclear weapons against nonnuclear nations that are in compliance with the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, even if they attack the U.S. with biological or chemical weapons. There will, however, be an exception for such nations as Iran and North Korea that have violated or ignored the treaty.

The new policies to reduce nuclear weapon stockpiles and redirect how we will use such weapons in the future, is part of President Obama's vision to rid the world of nuclear arms. While the president has struggled to pass many of his domestic policies and gain the trust of the white, working class voter since taking office, it is obvious that his skills on the world's stage are much stronger than had been argued by his Republican competitor during the 2008 election. Of course, maybe it just took a president that would open his ears and mind to reach out and work with the rest of the world leaders to ensure a more peaceful world.