Trump Seeks Last Minute Nuclear Arms Deal With Russia Before Election

 

US demands would grow if deal isn't signed by vote

Jason Ditz 

Posted onOctober 11, 2020CategoriesNewsTagsBiden, Russia, Trump

While the US spent most of 2020 not making serious inroads on a nuclear deal with Russia, President Trump is now reported to be interested in quickly rattling one off before the November 3 election.

Officials believe that once talks begin in earnest they could wrap things up within a week. They are also warning Russia that Trump would add more demands to the deal if it’s not finished by the election.

That forces Russia to make a decision, as the US was all but impossible to deal with before and 2021 Trump would apparently be a continuation of that. Meanwhile, Vice President Joe Biden, who is leading in the polling, has expressed interest in making a deal with Russia if he is elected.

That might be informing Russia to make a deal based on who they think is going to win. Getting a deal done should be a priority either way, however, and that might encourage making a deal now instead of risking a surprise Trump win giving way to an expiring New START.

Russia’s Deputy FM Sergey Ryabkov also questioned US confidence of getting a deal done in a week, saying they are huge differences in approach to the deal and it might be more difficult.

https://news.antiwar.com/2020/10/11/trump-seeks-last-minute-nuclear-arms-deal-with-russia-before-election/