Russia retains first-strike nuclear stance.

RF President Medvedev meeting with U.S. SoS Clinton.

The Russian government has announced to a local newspaper that it has begun a review of its policies regarding the use of nuclear weapons. In its statement to the local Moscow publication, the countries pre-emptive strike stance will be retained as it sees newer threats to its security developing in regional conflicts and local wars. The final draft of the renewed Russian nuclear policy is expected to be submitted to President Dmitry Medvedev by the end of this year.

Although progress has been detected in U.S. and Russian negotiations aimed at stockpile reductions, the Russian government has been reluctant to engage in an actual reduction strategy. It cites emerging regional and local threats and conflicts as the primary reasons for the re-evaluation of its policies and its willingness to reduce its weaponry any further. The two countries have established a deadline for a new treaty to be completed and executed that will replace the Cold War START Treaty.

At the end of the Cold War and the dissolution of the Soviet Empire, Russia has been vigilant in its efforts to re-establish itself as a major global player. For many of its political and military leaders, nuclear arms have been the only items in its inventory that forces the international community to take the country seriously. Many western political and military analysts believe that Russia will become increasingly reluctant to reduce its nuclear arsenal any further due to this strong self-perception.

The Russian Federation’s attempts to create satellite states, similar to those influenced by the old Soviet Union, sheds some light on what the country’s leadership are trying to accomplish. It has been long believed that Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, a former Soviet KGB officer, seeks to re-establish the glory, power, and influence of the old Soviet Union. This being the case, the current U.S. presidential administration has a rough road to travel that made lead to no real political gains in regards to international nuclear stockpiles.

"If President Obama thinks he is going to walk in there and arrogantly tell the Russians what they really want, like he has attempted to do with the American people over so-called healthcare reform, then he is in for a very rude and very blunt awakening," said Jim Willerson, an Atlanta metro area resident. Other people, interviewed randomly, stated that they didn’t believe that the President, Barack Hussein Obama, will be very successful in solidifying a treaty of any real substance with the Russians over nuclear arms reductions. "How can we expect him to achieve anything overseas when he’s too stupid to take care of things at home," Willerson continued.