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WORLD NEWS Friday 8 February 2019

Russian official: Another nuclear pact with US in trouble

By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV to be simple. He noted that
Associated Press the U.S. said it has convert-
MOSCOW (AP) — Another ed 56 Trident submarine-
U.S.-Russian nuclear pact is launched intercontinental
in danger following the U.S. ballistic missiles and 41 B-
move to withdraw from a 52H strategic bombers that
Cold War-era arms control carried nuclear weapons
treaty, a senior Russian dip- for use with conventional
lomat said Thursday. weapons, but stonewalled
Deputy Foreign Minister Ser- Russia’s repeated requests
gei Ryabkov charged that for a verifiable way to ex-
the U.S. refusal to negotiate clude their conversion
an extension to the New back to nuclear status.
Start treaty signals Wash- “In the worst-case scenar-
ington’s intention to let it io, they may carry 1,286
expire in 2021. He warned nuclear warheads,” he
that time is running out to said, meaning that the U.S.
save the pact, which was could nearly double the
signed in 2010 by U.S. Presi- number of deployed war-
dent Barack Obama and heads allowed by the New
Russian President Dmitry Start treaty.
Medvedev. He said “that there is al-
Ryabkov said that the U.S. most no time left” to discuss
has shown “no readiness or that and other issues for the
desire” to engage in sub- treaty to be extended by
stantive talks on extending another five years as envis-
the pact, which limits each Russian President Vladimir Putin makes a point as he speaks at the plenary session of the Business aged during the signing.
country to no more than Russia forum in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2019. “It gives reason to suspect
1,550 deployed nuclear Associated Press our American counterparts
warheads and 700 de- Andrea Thompson argued treaty’s extension. tend, so we have time with of setting ground to avoid
ployed missiles and bomb- in Wednesday’s phone call “We have until 2021,” that.” those discussions ... and
ers. with reporters that there is Thompson said. “It is a rel- But Ryabkov warned that just let the treaty quietly ex-
U.S. Undersecretary of State enough time to discuss the atively simple treaty to ex- the procedure isn’t going pire,” Ryabkov said.q

Japan’s Abe vows to resolve territorial dispute with Russia

By HARUKA NUGA northern main island of to with Putin in order to
KAORI HITOMI Hokkaido has been a prior- sign a peace treaty “while
Associated Press ity for Abe and his conser- people of Japan and Rus-
TOKYO (AP) — Japanese vative base. For seven de- sia strengthen their mutual
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe cades, the dispute has pre- trust and friendship.”
vowed Thursday to take a vented Tokyo and Moscow While Abe is keen to make
“step-by-step” approach from signing a peace trea- progress on the dispute with
in resolving a territorial dis- ty. In November, Abe and Russia and find opportuni-
pute with Russia left over Russian President Vladimir ties to cooperate in devel-
from World War II. Putin agreed to acceler- oping oil and gas and oth-
Abe told a rally of former ate negotiations based on er natural resources, China
residents of four islands a 1956 Soviet proposal to is the overriding concern,
seized by Russia in the war’s return two of the islands to said James Brown, associ-
final days and their sup- Japan. That suggestion an- ated professor at Temple
porters Thursday that set- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, second from right, arrives gered Russian nationalists, University’s Japan Campus.
tling the conflict over what to deliver a speech during an annual rally, calling on Russia to and last month Russian For- “There is also the concern
Japan calls its “northern return disputed islands which Japan calls the Northern Territories eign Minister Sergey Lavrov that the United States, es-
territories” was difficult but and Russia calls Kuril Islands, in Tokyo Thursday, Feb. 7, 2019. warned Japan it must rec- pecially under the ‘Ameri-
necessary. Associated Press ognize the islands as part of ca First’ policy of (President
“It is not easy to resolve Abe said. “Keeping in mind by-step approach toward Russia as a starting point for Donald) Trump, is some-
this task remaining over 73 your sentiments toward the resolving the territorial is- talks. Abe said the negotia- what of a less reliable ally
years since the war. Yet, Northern Territory, we are sue,” he said. Regaining tions would continue based than it was in the past,”
we need to tackle this,” determined to take a step- the islands north of Japan’s on the guidelines agreed Brown said. q