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Obama's idea to cut Russian, US nuclear arsenals unlikely to be discussed in near future - view

Firstly, the missile defense problem is the first obstacle to such a discussion

MOSCOW, June 20 (Itar-Tass) - Head of the committee for international affairs under the Federation Council upper house of the Russian parliament Mikhail Margelov believes the discussion of U.S. President Barack Obama's proposal to cut Russian and U.S. nuclear arsenals is only possible in a distant future.

"In the modern situation, Barack Obama's proposal to cut by one-third the nuclear arsenals of Russia and the USA is not a matter of near future," the FC member told Itar-Tass on Wednesday.

Firstly, the missile defense problem is the first obstacle to such a discussion. "Obama's proposal is closely linked with the problem of missile defense in Europe in the first place; because this system potentially can upset the strategic deterrence balance," Margelov said.

Also, there is a problem of the "nuclear club," which includes other countries beside the USA and Russia. "On top of that, other countries are seeking to enter this club, secretly or openly, and since the USA and Russia are not the only nuclear weapons states, it is obvious that the issues of cutting stockpiles of nuclear weapons are not only for these two countries," he stated.

Earlier on Wednesday, U.S. leader Barack Obama suggested cutting the U.S. and Russian nuclear potentials by one-third compared with the present level, set by the 2010 treaty on measures for the further reduction and limitation of strategic offensive arms.

"We may no longer live in fear of global annihilation, but so long as nuclear weapons exist, we are not truly safe. After a comprehensive review, I've determined that we can ensure the security of America and our allies -- and maintain a strong and credible strategic deterrent -- while reducing our deployed strategic nuclear weapons by up to one-third," CNN quoted Obama as saying.