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WORLD NEWS Tuesday 14 May 2019

Arms control a top issue at Russia-US talks Tuesday in Sochi

By NATALIYA VASILYEVA per the much-needed re-
Associated Press construction efforts for the
MOSCOW (AP) — U.S. Sec- war-battered country.
retary of State Mike Pom- ___
peo's first trip to Russia is IRAN
scheduled to start Tuesday Tensions between the U.S.
in Black Sea coastal city of and Iran have spiked since
Sochi, where he and Rus- Trump withdrew a year ago
sian Foreign Minister are from a 2015 nuclear agree-
sitting down for talks and ment between six world
then having a joint meeting powers and Tehran while
with President Vladimir Pu- reinstating economic sanc-
tin. A look at the top issues tions on Iran's energy and
Pompeo and Lavrov are finance sectors.
expected to discuss before Russia is one of the remain-
briefing Putin: ing signatories, and Lavrov
___ is likely to stress to Pompeo
ARMS CONTROL the deal's importance for
The state of arms control international security.
treaties between the Unit- Iran said this week it would
ed States and Russia is likely partially end its compli-
to feature prominently in ance with the agreement
the talks. unless the European parties
The U.S. unilaterally pulled are able to circumvent the
out of a 1987 nuclear mis- U.S. sanctions and preserve
sile pact this year, accusing the benefits the Middle East
Russia of violations. Putin country expected to see
responded in kind, saying from the accord.
he was suspending Russia's Pompeo scrapped the
participation in the Inter- Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, gestures while speaking to Chinese Foreign Minister Wang short visit to Moscow on his
mediate-Range Nuclear Yi during their meeting in the Bocharov Ruchei residence in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, Russia, trip itinerary Monday and
Forces treaty and accusing Monday, May 13, 2019. made an unplanned stop
Washington of making false Associated Press in Brussels to discuss the fu-
allegations. ture of the Iran nuclear deal
Trump has said he wants to before bringing China into peo will raise the subject of air base. But U.S. officials with European officials.
negotiate new arms con- treaty negotiations. election meddling in Sochi. appear concerned that Last week, the U.S. said it
trol accords that reflect ___ At a meeting in Finland Russia could be laying the was dispatching an aircraft
current conditions and to ELECTION INTERFERENCE earlier this month, Pompeo groundwork for a full-on of- carrier group and B-52
bring in other nations, nota- Pompeo's sit-down with Pu- said he told Lavrov the in- fensive by Syrian govern- bombers to the Middle East
bly China. tin and Lavrov will be the terference is "not appropri- ment forces. in response to intelligence
The U.S. president said af- highest-level, face-to-face ate and that we're going Russia and Turkey struck a that Iran was preparing to
ter he and Putin spoke by talks between Washington to do everything we can to cease-fire deal for Idlib in retaliate for the sanctions
phone last week they were and Moscow since the re- deter it." September, averting what with attacks on American
considering a deal that lease of special counsel ____ was then seen as an inevi- interests in the region.
would "get rid of some of Robert Mueller's report on SYRIA table offensive on the rebel Trump also said he would
the tremendous firepower Russian meddling in the The United States has stronghold. Syrian and Rus- like to meet Iranian leaders
that we have right now" 2016 presidential election. urged Russia to end es- sian military planes started "someday" to "work out an
and also include China. Trump has downplayed calating airstrikes in the bombing the province on agreement."
Speaking ahead of Pom- the Russian interference last Syrian province under April 30. ___
peo's visit, Russian Deputy and insisted Mueller's report rebel control. U.S. Special Russian officials publicly ex- NORTH KOREA
Foreign Minister Sergei Ry- cleared him of wrongdo- Representative for Syria En- pressed their impatience Pompeo is coming to So-
abkov said Monday that ing. U.S. officials acknowl- gagement James Jeffrey with Idlib's rebels, but said chi likely wanting to know
Moscow wants to focus on edge Russia inserted itself is accompanying Pompeo they oppose a major offen- if Moscow can do more to
extending the START treaty, in the 2016 campaign and to Sochi to get a sense of sive. get North Korean leader
another key arms control think it will try to do so again Russia's long-term plans for Lavrov is likely to press Pom- Kim Jong Un to abandon
deal between Moscow in the United States and Idlib. peo on the U.S. military his arms buildup. Russia
and Washington which runs elsewhere. The Russian military has de- presence in Syria as well as is likely to press the U.S. to
out in 2021. While Putin has repeatedly scribed its current opera- the international sanctions provide more security guar-
Ryabkov added that Mos- denied Russia played any tions there as limited and on Syria President Bashar antees to North Korea as a
cow wants to focus on bi- role in other countries' elec- solely in response to fre- Assad's government. Russia first step to break the diplo-
lateral commitments first tions, U.S. officials say Pom- quent rebel attacks on its argues the sanctions ham- matic stalemate.q