Hillary in Russia Discussing Arms

"It's very important, as we move ahead on START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) and as we work together on nonproliferation issues, for the United States and Russia to show effective leadership…” Clinton said addressing reporters after a meeting with Russian President Medvedev. Clinton is in Moscow discussing the details of the agreement. The treaty is no yet finalized but both leaders are hoping to finalize it this spring.

President Barack Obama will host a meeting next month in Washington of roughly 50 world leaders to improve the safeguarding of nuclear materials internationally. The United Nations will then convene a May conference in New York to review the implementation of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.

The Obama Administration is dedicated to START but completion has lagged. Getting the bill signed will be an important issue in the reelection campaign. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced optimism on Tuesday that Start negotiations could be completed in the coming weeks. "The end of March-April—those are the dates, when, if the delegations firmly follow the directives of the presidents, they will finish preparing the treaty," the Itar-Tass news agency quoted Mr. Lavrov as saying.

The Obama Administration has tried to do strengthen and renew the relationship with Moscow. It has reduced arms specifically aimed at Russia and asking the Kremlin for help in the war in Afghanistan. "At the beginning of 2010, if you look at the U.S.-Russian relationship, we're in much more solid shape than we were in the beginning of 2009," a US diplomat said.