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A6 WORLD NEWS
Saturday 23 January 2021
Russia welcomes U.S. proposal to extend nuclear treaty

MOSCOW (AP) — The Krem- reaffirmed Russia's denial
lin on Friday welcomed U.S. of involvement in any such
President Joe Biden's pro- activities.
posal to extend the last re- After both Moscow and
maining nuclear arms con- Washington withdrew from
trol treaty between the two the 1987 Intermediate-
countries, which is set to ex- Range Nuclear Forces
pire in less than two weeks. Treaty in 2019, New START is
Russian President Vladimir the only remaining nuclear
Putin's spokesman, Dmi- arms control deal between
try Peskov, said that Russia the two countries.
stands for extending the Arms control advocates
pact and is waiting to see have strongly called for
the details of the U.S. pro- New START's preservation,
posal. warning that its lapse would
The White House said Thurs- remove any checks on U.S.
day that Biden has pro- and Russian nuclear forces.
posed to Russia a five-year Last week, Russia also de-
extension of the New START clared that it would follow
treaty. the U.S. to pull out of the
"We can only welcome Open Skies Treaty allowing
political will to extend the surveillance flights over mili-
document," Peskov said in Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting on economic issues via video conference at tary facilities to help build
a conference call with re- the Novo-Ogaryovo residence outside Moscow, Russia, Thursday, Jan. 21, 2021. trust and transparency be-
porters. "But all will depend Associated Press tween Russia and the West.
on the details of the pro- While Russia always offered
posal." gaining have failed to nar- istry's spokeswoman, Ma- cow's meddling in the 2016 to extend New START for
The treaty, signed in row differences. ria Zakharova, noted in a U.S. presidential election five years — a possibility
2010 by President Barack "Certain conditions for the statement that Russia al- and other irritants. envisaged by the pact —
Obama and Russian Presi- extension have been put ways has called for main- Despite the extension pro- Trump asserted that it put
dent Dmitry Medvedev, forward, and some of them taining the treaty and posal, White House press the U.S. at a disadvantage
limits each country to no have been absolutely un- said Russian diplomats are secretary Jen Psaki said and initially insisted that
more than 1,550 deployed acceptable for us, so let's ready to quickly engage Biden remains committed China be added to the
nuclear warheads and see first what the U.S. is of- in contacts with the U.S. to to holding Russia "to ac- treaty, an idea that Beijing
700 deployed missiles and fering," Peskov said. formalize its extension for count for its reckless and flatly rejected. Trump's ad-
bombers, and envisages Mikhail Ulyanov, the Rus- five years "without any de- adversarial actions," such ministration then proposed
sweeping on-site inspec- sian ambassador at the in- lay." as its alleged involvement to extend New START for just
tions to verify compliance. ternational organizations in Biden indicated during the in the Solar Winds hack- one year and also sought
It expires on Feb. 5. Vienna, also hailed Biden's campaign that he favored ing event, 2020 election to expand it to include lim-
Russia has long proposed proposal as an "encourag- the preservation of the New interference, the chemi- its on battlefield nuclear
to prolong the pact without ing step." START treaty, which was ne- cal poisoning of opposition weapons.
any conditions or changes, "The extension will give gotiated during his tenure figure Alexei Navalny and Moscow has said it remains
but former President Don- the two sides more time as U.S. vice president. the widely reported allega- open for new nuclear arms
ald Trump's administration to consider possible addi- The talks on the treaty's ex- tions that Russia may have talks with the U.S. to negoti-
waited until last year to tional measures aimed at tension also were clouded offered bounties to the ate future limits on prospec-
start talks and made the strengthening strategic sta- by tensions between Rus- Taliban to kill American sol- tive weapons, but empha-
extension contingent on a bility and global security," sia and the United States, diers in Afghanistan. sized that preserving New
set of demands. The talks he tweeted. which have been fueled Asked to comment on Psa- START is essential for global
stalled, and months of bar- The Russian Foreign Min- by the Ukrainian crisis, Mos- ki's statement, Peskov has stability.q

Islamic State claims deadly and rare twin blasts in Baghdad

Associated Press suicide bomber cried out by Iraqi forces and the U.S.-
BAGHDAD (AP) — The Is- loudly that he was ill in the led coalition in 2017.
lamic State claimed re- middle of the bustling mar- The attack was the first in
sponsibility for a rare suicide ket, prompting a crowd to nearly three years to hit the
attack that rocked central gather around him — and capital. Elsewhere, in north-
Baghdad, killing 32 people that's when he detonated ern Iraq and the western
and wounding dozens. his explosive belt. The sec- desert, attacks continue
The bombing targeted ond detonated shortly af- and almost exclusively tar-
"apostate Shiites," the ter. get Iraqi security forces.
group said in a statement The U.S.-led coalition re- An increase in attacks was
on an IS-affiliated website cently ceased combat seen last summer as mili-
late Thursday. activities and is gradually tants took advantage of
At least 32 people were drawing down its troop the government's focus on
killed and over 100 peo- presence in Iraq, sparking tackling the coronavirus
In this Thursday, Jan. 21, 2021, file photo, people and security ple wounded in the blasts fears of an IS resurgence. pandemic and exploited
forces gather at the site of a deadly bomb attack in a market on Thursday. Some were The group has rarely been security gaps across dis-
selling used clothes, in Baghdad, Iraq. in severe condition. Ac- able to penetrate the capi- puted territory in northern
Associated Press cording to officials, the first tal since being dislodged Iraq.q