158 - EXPERT OPINION

The views expressed in the publication are the sole responsibility of the author and do not in any way represent the views of the Embassy. [...] Main Results of New START After taking the measures envisaged in the new treaty, the number of nuclear warheads was supposed to go lower than envisaged by the 1972 (SALT I16) negotiations for the first time in the existence of nuclear weapons. [...] The possible transformation of the Pentagon’s views on nuclear weapons could also have been one of the reasons for the extension of the treaty by Russia. [...] Russian expert circles have expressed the opinion24 that this is not an accidental article and rather it continues the trend of articles published by high-ranking US military officials with the aim that the US and the rest of the world comprehend the scale of threats and risks brought on by the increasing confrontation between the two worlds: the West led by Russia and the East represented by Russ. [...] Conclusions What were the factors facilitating the extension of the treaty and what should we expect in the future? Presumably, the parties were taking into account the very reasons due to which the treaty was originally signed.