U.S., Russian negotiators 'at the finish line' on new START nuclear pact

U.S., Russian negotiators 'at the finish line' on new START nuclear pactBy Mary Beth Sheridan

Washington Post Foreign Service

Friday, March 19, 2010

MOSCOW -- U.S. and Russian negotiatorsSecurity barrierarePVC Fabric"at the finish line" in negotiating a major agreement to cut the number of nuclear warheads each side has deployed against the other, with just one or two issues left to resolve, officials said Thursday.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and the Russian foreign minister said after talks here that they awaited word soon from negotiators in Geneva who have been working 18-hour days to wrap up the agreement.

The Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) is a top priority of President Obama, who initially had pledged to finish it by last year. Obama spoke by phone with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev last weekend to iron out remaining obstacles, giving new momentum to the talks, officials said.

But the optimism over the arms control talks contrasted with a fresh sign that Russia is not necessarily going to fall in line with U.S. priorities in other areas -- such as Iran's nuclear program.

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin announced Thursday thatPVC FabricRussia would fire up the reactor it is building at an Iranian nuclear power plant at midyear. Asked about the move, Clinton told reporters it was "premature," because "we want to send an unequivocal message to the Iranians" that they have to desist from developing a nuclear bomb.

"If it [Iran] reassures the world [about its program], or if its behavior. has changed because of international sanctions," then the country can go ahead with nuclear power plants, she told a news conference. Iran insists that its nuclear program is peaceful.

Russia agreed to build Iran's first nuclear power plant near Bushehr 15 years ago, but the construction schedule has constantly slipped. Many analysts think Russia is using the delays as leverage. Putin's announcement actually appeared to mark a further setback in the plant's completion date, which had been set for the spring. But the timing of the announcement was awkward for ClintonSecurity barrierandPVC Fabricappeared to be a jab at her efforts to put together a tough international line on Iran.