REACTIONS TO START III PROPOSAL.
OMRI Daily Digest - Russia Vol. 3, No. 17, 24 January 1997
© 1997. All Rights Reserved
Russian parliamentary deputies
on 23 January reacted guardedly to reports
that Washington is ready to propose
rapidly opening talks on START III in
order to facilitate ratification of START II,
Western agencies reported. Duma
International Affairs Committe Chairman
Vladimir Lukin said START III is a good
idea, "if we can go ahead without
ratification of START II." Communist
Deputy Aleksei Podberezkin also
supported a START III agreement, but
linked it with "America fulfilling different
conditions," a possible reference to NATO
enlargement. Pentagon spokesman Kevin
Bacon confirmed the same day that
Washington will propose opening talks
on a START III agreement reducing
each country's strategic arsenal far below the
3,500 warhead ceiling set by START II.
Such an agreement could address some
Russian concerns over the cost of
implementing START II, but Bacon
emphasized that Washington will still
insist on ratification of START II
before opening new talks. -- Scott Parrish