US Deputy Secretary of State to Discuss Arms Control with Russia
US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy R. Sherman is leading a team of diplomats today to meet with key Russian officials in Geneva in hopes of furthering discussions on how to make progress in arms control.
Former US President Donald Trump’s administration saw the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons Treaty collapse, so the US wants to reverse this damage before the last remaining arms control agreement between Russia and the US expires within five years.
The meeting is following up on the June summit that US President Joe Biden had with Russian President Vladimir Putin, where the two leaders agreed to restart talks on arms control. Since Biden and Putin’s meeting, Sherman’s team has met with their Russian counterparts once on July 28.
Additionally, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin had a call with Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu about these matters on August 11.
After a tumultuous few months for the US in Afghanistan, the Biden administration is likely looking for a win with Russia. But regardless of how the meeting goes, progress is unlikely in the long-term due to Russia’s lack of commitment to concrete changes, and their global aggression.
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