The United States and Russia agreed to reduce the number of strategic nuclear warheads to between 1,500 and 1,675 and to reduce the number of nuclear delivery systems (intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarine-launched missiles, and bombers) of both countries.
Following a meeting between Medvedev and Obama in Moscow, the Kremlin and the White House issued a joint statement saying that the cutback of nuclear arsenals was due to take place *“within seven years after this treaty comes into force”* and would replace the existing START treaty in December.
Both countries currently have between 2,000 and 3,000 active nuclear warheads. The treaty would limit the number of nuclear delivery systems to 1,600.
The treaty was a breakthrough in improving relations between the two countries however Medvedev admitted there remained much to negotiate. Obama took the opportunity to announce the security summit next year in the USA.
There was talk regarding plans for an anti-nuclear missile shield that Washington intends to install in Poland and the Czech Republic, Obama assured that the shield was *“intended to protect against a missile coming from Iran or North Korea and that it would not provide protection against a mighty Russian arsenal”* However, a decision was reached to appoint a commission of experts to identify the threats.
Medvedev proposed the idea of designing a shield capable of protecting all countries in the world. He also called upon a treaty to inspect offensive and defensive arms concurrently, not separately as the previous US administration had insisted. *“Up until recently the discrepancies in this area were considerable”* remarked the Russian president and expressed his opinion that the new focus should allow *“an equalizing of both positions”*.
