Russia: Putin Praises Arms Treaty

Prime Minister Vladimir V. Putin praised the New Start nuclear arms treaty with the United States on Wednesday in his first remarks on the pact since the United States Senate approved it last week. Mr. Putin lauded President Dmitri A. Medvedev for forging the treaty with President Obama — a clear signal of approval for the agreement from Russia’s paramount leader. Analysts say that Russia would not have agreed to the treaty without Mr. Putin’s support and that the Kremlin-controlled Parliament is all but certain to ratify it after the holidays. Mr. Putin has rarely commented on the treaty and at one point during yearlong negotiations made remarks that cast doubt on the chances for agreement. On Wednesday, he suggested that the treaty would bolster international security but also help Russia develop its economy by improving the investment climate. The treaty would require the United States and Russia to reduce their nuclear stockpiles so that within seven years of ratification neither deploys more than 1,550 strategic warheads. It would also require the resumption of on-site inspections.