Page 3 - aruba-today-20230223

A3
U.S. NEWS Thursday 23 February 2023
Biden: Putin’s suspension of U.S. arms treaty ‘big mistake’

By AAMER MADHANI year-old Russian invasion,
Associated Biden warned that Russian
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — aggression, if unchecked,
President Joe Biden said wouldn’t stop at Ukraine’s
Wednesday that Russian borders. “Appetites of the
President Vladimir Putin autocrat cannot be ap-
made a “big mistake” by peased,” he said. “They
suspending his country’s must be opposed.”
participation in the last re- Hungarian Prime Minister
maining U.S.-Russia nuclear Viktor Orban, the right-wing
arms control treaty. The U.S. populist leader who argued
president was in Poland last week that the Europe-
to reassure eastern flank an Union is partly to blame
NATO allies that the U.S. will for prolonging Russia’s war
remain by their sides amid in Ukraine, has balked at
the grinding Russian inva- sanctions on Moscow and
sion of Ukraine. In his first arming Kyiv. Orban was
comments since Putin’s skipping the meeting with
announcement Tuesday, Biden, and President Kata-
Biden condemned the Rus- lin Novák was attending in
sian decision to pull back his stead.
from the treaty, known as Still, Klaus Iohannis, the
New START. The move is president of Romania, in-
expected to have an im- President Joe Biden speaks during a meeting with the leaders of the Bucharest Nine, a group of sisted that “The B9 is stron-
mediate impact on U.S. vis- nine countries that make up the eastern flank of NATO, Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023, in Warsaw. ger than ever.”
ibility into Russian nuclear Associated Press NATO Secretary General
activities, but the pact was Jens Stoltenberg, who was
already on life support fol- Nine, a collection of nations Ukraine war drags on, with better than anyone, what’s attending the meeting,
lowing Moscow’s cancel- in the most eastern parts many worrying that Putin at stake in this conflict? Not said, “We don’t know when
lation late last year of talks of the NATO alliance that could move to take military just for Ukraine, but for the the war will end, but when
that had been intended to came together in response action against them next if freedom of democracies it does, we need to ensure
salvage an agreement that to Putin’s 2014 annexation he’s successful in Ukraine. throughout Europe and that history does not repeat
both sides have accused of Crimea from Ukraine. He The alliance includes Bul- around the world.” itself.”
the other of violating. departed Poland Wednes- garia, the Czech Republic, He pledged that NATO’s Pointing to past Russian
“It’s a big mistake,” Biden day evening to return to Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, mutual-defense pact is actions in Georgia and
said. The president’s Washington ahead of Fri- Lithuania, Poland, Romania “sacred” and that “we Ukraine, he added, “We
comments came as he day’s anniversary of the and Slovakia. will defend literally every cannot allow Russia to con-
wrapped up a whirlwind, war’s breakout. “You’re the frontlines of inch of NATO.” A day ear- tinue to chip away at Eu-
four-day visit to Poland The Bucharest Nine coun- our collective defense,” lier at the foot of Warsaw’s ropean security. We must
and Ukraine with talks with tries’ anxieties have re- Biden said Wednesday of Royal Castle to mark the break the cycle of Russian
leaders from the Bucharest mained heightened as the the group. “And you know, somber milestone of the aggression.” q

Air Force expands cancer review of nuclear missile personnel

By TARA COPP The Associated Press. Since Chinese spy balloon loi-
Associated Press that briefing, more mis- tered as it transited the
WASHINGTON (AP) — The sileers and missile support United States earlier this
Air Force’s review of can- crew have come forward month.
cers among its nuclear to the AP and other media The “Missile Community
missile corps will include all outlets to report they, too, Cancer Study,” to be con-
personnel who worked on, have been diagnosed with ducted by the Air Force
guarded, supported or op- either non-Hodgkin lym- School of Aerospace Medi-
erated the nation’s ground- phoma or other types of cine, will look at all ICBM
based warheads, Air Force cancers. wings and all Air Force
Global Strike Command The Air Force review will ex- personnel who support the
announced Wednesday. tend beyond Malmstrom ICBM mission.
Nine officers who had to include F.E. Warren Air It will review environmental
worked as missileers the air- Force Base in Wyoming factors at the missile bases
men who launch the war- and Minot Air Force Base in and silos, and examine
heads from underground North Dakota. Together the “the possibility of clusters of Pallets of 155 mm shells ultimately bound for Ukraine are loaded
silos and control centers three bases operate 450 si- non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma” by the 436th Aerial Port Squadron, April 29, 2022, at Dover Air
at Montana’s Malmstrom los that house the nation’s among missileers and those Force Base, Del. As the war rages on in Ukraine, the United
Air Force Base were diag- arsenal of ground-based who maintained, guarded States is doing more than supporting an ally.
nosed with with non-Hodg- nuclear warheads carried and supported the bases, Associated Press
kin lymphoma, a type of by Minuteman III interconti- the head of Air Force Glob- tive-duty medical data and Col. Lee Williams, the com-
blood cancer, Lt. Col. Dan- nental ballistic missiles. al Strike Command, Gen. the Department of Veter- mand’s surgeon general,
iel Sebeck of U.S. Space Malmstrom was one of the Thomas Bussiere, said in a ans Affairs’ cancer registry said there was not yet a
Force reported last month sensitive military locations statement. data, mortality data and timeline for the study.q
in a briefing obtained by over which a suspected The review will look at ac- public cancer registries.