Page 4 - aruba-today-24dec-2016

A4 U.S. NEWS
Saturday 24 december 2016

Trump welcomes ‘nice’ letter from Putin after nuclear vow

VIVIAN SALAMA garding nuclear weapons.
Associated Press Those comments echoed
WEST PALM BEACH, Florida an earlier statement by Pu-
(AP) — After months of tin, who said earlier Thurs-
promising to engage more day that strengthening his
with Russia, President-elect country’s nuclear capabili-
Donald Trump vowed to ties should be a chief mili-
enhance America’s nucle- tary objective in the com-
ar capabilities, admonish- ing year.
ing Russian President Vladi- But Putin downplayed the
mir Putin on Friday that he significance of Trump’s
hopes both global powers comments at a marathon
can restore collaboration end-of-year news confer-
so that “we do not have to ence Friday. Putin said he
travel an alternate path.” sees “nothing unusual” in
Trump passed along a “very Trump’s pledge to strength-
nice letter” that his transi- en the U.S. nuclear forces,
tion team said was sent to saying the statement is
him by Putin urging Trump in line with the president-
to act “in a constructive elect’s campaign prom-
and pragmatic manner” to ises.
“restore the framework of In his wide-ranging re-
bilateral cooperation.” marks, the Russian leader
The letter, dated Dec. 15, claimed that his country’s
A motorcade carrying President-elect Donald Trump arrives at Trump International Golf Club, in
West Palm Beach, Fla., Friday, Dec. 23, 2016. also notes that serious glob- military is stronger than that
(AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) al and regional challenges of any potential aggressor,
“show that the relations be- but acknowledged that
tween Russia and the U.S. the U.S. military is bigger.
remain an important factor He also cast the modern-
in ensuring stability and se- ization of Russia’s nuclear
curity in the modern world.” arsenals as a necessary
In response, Trump said response to the U.S. missile
that Putin’s “thoughts are defense system.
so correct,” and that he Trump extolled Putin’s lead-
hopes “both sides are able ership during the campaign
to live up to these thoughts, and called for a tempered
and we do not have to approach to U.S.-Russia
travel an alternate path.” relations. And while Putin
Putin spokesman Dmitry had described Trump in
Peskov confirmed that Pu- favorable terms during the
tin sent the letter, “voicing campaign, observers say
hope for an improvement Russia’s interest is centered
of bilateral ties,” according around winning relief from
to the Interfax news agen- crippling sanctions imple-
cy. Trump’s transition team mented under the Obama
described the text as an administration and bolster-
unofficial translation. ing Russia as the political
The exchange comes and economic equivalent
on the heels of com- of the United States.
ments by Trump and Putin Tensions have been mount-
alike about the need to ing between the U.S. and
strengthen their countries’ Russia in recent months
nuclear arsenals. Trump re- over accusations by the
opened the debate over Obama administration that
nuclear proliferation Thurs- the Russian government
day, declaring on Twitter hacked the emails of U.S.
that the U.S. should “great- citizens and institutions, in-
ly strengthen and expand cluding political organiza-
its nuclear capability” tions, and handed them
until the rest of the world over to DCLeaks.com and
“comes to its senses” re- WikiLeaks for distribution.