Antony Blinken, President-elect Joe Biden's nominee for secretary of state, said Tuesday the incoming administration would seek to extend New START, the last US arms pact with Russia, which expires February 5.

"I think we're going to seek an extension," Blinken said in response to a question at his Senate confirmation hearing.

"I know we will be coming to you very quickly, almost immediately, to discuss that," Blinken said of the Senate.

Russian President Vladimir Putin last year proposed a one-year extension on New START, which caps the number of nuclear warheads between the two powers.

President Donald Trump's administration had unsuccessfully sought to expand the treaty to bring in China, which has a fast-growing military that remains significantly smaller than those of Russia and the United States.

The Trump administration late last year appeared willing to accept an extension but wanted it conditional on Russia halting military advancements in the interim period.

NATO chief says looking forward to working with Biden
Brussels (AFP) Jan 19, 2021 - NATO and the European Union are looking forward to working with US President-elect Joe Biden to strengthen transatlantic ties, the military alliance's chief said on Tuesday.

"We look forward to working with President-elect @JoeBiden to further strengthen ties between the #UnitedStates & #Europe, as we face global challenges none of us can tackle alone," NATO's Jens Stoltenberg wrote on Twitter after meeting European Council President Charles Michel.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell also took part in the working dinner on the eve of Biden's swearing in.

Traditional US allies in the European Union and NATO were often shunned by outgoing US President Donald Trump throughout his divisive four years in office.

Biden has signalled he intends to repair those relationships and return to multilateralism, underscored by his nomination of seasoned diplomat Antony Blinken for secretary of state.

Stoltenberg has invited Biden to participate in a NATO summit at a date to be set, while Michel has proposed organising a special meeting with the incoming president and EU leaders.

Related Links
Learn about nuclear weapons doctrine and defense at SpaceWar.com
Learn about missile defense at SpaceWar.com
All about missiles at SpaceWar.com
Learn about the Superpowers of the 21st Century at SpaceWar.com

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

For Russia, nuclear arms curbs with Biden are a 'no brainer'
Moscow (AFP) Jan 15, 2021
When US President-elect Joe Biden enters the White House next week his administration will be in a race against time to salvage a landmark nuclear arms accord with Russia. The New START treaty, which expires just 16 days after Biden's inauguration, is the last major arms reduction pact between old foes whose bulging nuclear stockpiles dominated fears for global security during the Cold War. But the fast-approaching deadline to find compromise comes as tensions between Moscow and Washington are a ... read more