Azerbaijan, Baku, Dec. 22 / Trend E. Tariverdiyeva /
The fact that Barack Obama realized the START treaty through the old staff of the U.S. Senate, which must be replaced soon, shows that ratification of the treaty with Russia is important for him, Alexander Rahr, German political analyst, member of Trend Expert Council, told Trend.
"START Treaty should be interpreted correctly. This treaty is not similar to the agreements concluded between the USSR and the U.S. during the Cold War," Rahr, director of Russia-Eurasia center of the German Council on Foreign Relations told Trend over phone from Berlin.
The U.S. Senate voted to cease discussions about the ratification of the treaty with Russia on START on Dec. 21. The Senate decided to cease debates and proceed to voting having 67 - "for" and 28 - "against".
According to the U.S observers, this means that the required majority for ratifying the treaty will be obtained. After several Republican senators expressed their support for the agreement, the Democrats can get the necessary two-thirds majority for ratification, "Interfax" reported.
The Presidents of Russia and the U.S. signed a new START treaty on April 8, 2010 in Prague. The sides intend to reduce the total number of warheads by one third - up to 1,550 warheads and 700 carriers of the deployed intercontinental ballistic missiles, ballistic missiles of submarines and heavy bombers, 800 deployed and non-deployed intercontinental ballistic missiles.
Rahr said that the new START treaty is a signal to the world that rivals of the Cold War Russia as successor of the USSR and the U.S. are ready to disarm. They are willing to radically reconsider their nuclear arsenals.
"This is a signal to China, India, Pakistan and Iran that the biggest nuclear powers are prepared to move towards a nuclear-free world, in this sense, Obama differs from his predecessors," he said.
Rahr said that President Obama really wants to extend the policy of disarmament worldwide. It is absolutely correct, given the danger of appearing new nuclear powers.
"If one says that it is impossible to come to the nuclear zero from the very beginning, then we will not achieve anything. It is necessary to show by own example that you strive towards this," he said.
Moreover, START shows that Russia wants to cooperate in the West.
"Russia was proposed to cooperate on missile defense base at the summit in Lisbon. It testifies the willingness of the West to consider Russia not only as an ally, but as a country that protects the European continent, as well as America if not now, but in the future, the expert said.
NATO countries have reached an agreement with Russia on cooperation in missile defense sphere at the NATO summit held in Lisbon in late November. The Russian missile defense system can enter into partnerships with NATO's missile defense system being under implementation.
Reasonable Western leaders are doing everything to get away from the danger of a new Cold War, he said.
"I think that Russia will continue this course in the future regardless of who becomes the next president of the country," Rahr said.