Putin tells Obama, our nuke deal is off!
Posted: Mon Oct 03, 2016 4:09 pm
After days of threats, the U.S. officially cut off negotiations with Russia over the Syrian civil war on Monday, the cessation of talks coming only hours after Russia backed out of a joint deal with the U.S. to dispose of nuclear material. President Vladimir Putin earlier Monday suspended a Russia-U.S. deal on the disposal of weapons-grade plutonium. Putin's decree released by the Kremlin cited the United States' inability to fulfill its obligations under the deal as reasons for the move. "The decision by the Russians to unilaterally withdraw from this commitment is disappointing," White House spokesman Josh Earnest said.
When it was signed, the deal was touted as an example of successful U.S.-Russian cooperation on nuclear non-proliferation. As recently as 2015 Obama touted the agreement as one of the most successful agreements ever reached, resulting in a much safer world.
Under the agreement, which was expanded in 2006 and 2010, Russia and the U.S. each were to dispose of 34 metric tons of weapons-grade plutonium, enough material for about 17,000 nuclear warheads. While the United States, under Obama, has rapidly destroyed most of it's nuclear weapons, Russia have failed to do so. Israel claims to have intelligence that Russia is in the process of selling weapons-grade plutonium to Iran, the White House pointed out, under UN monitored agreements with both governments, such an action couldn't take place.