From The New York Times:
WASHINGTON — With the clock ticking on a year-end deadline, President Obama is pressing ahead with a top-to-bottom review of America’s nuclear weapons to see how much the arsenal can shrink, as his negotiators are racing to wrap up a major new strategic arms control treaty with Russia.
The review, in tandem with reinvigorated talks between Washington and Moscow, will help determine how much further the two nuclear superpowers will cut their arsenals after the 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, or Start, expires Dec. 5.
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My Comment: I suspect that while security considerations will always be on the forefront when it comes to these discussions with the Russians .... economic and fiscal concerns are now making themselves present.
Maintaining a nuclear stockpile is an expensive proposition .... updating and modernizing it costs even more. I suspect that in both Russia and in the U.S., fatigue is starting to filter in on continuing this huge financial burden.
Both Russia and the U.S. know that neither will start a nuclear and/or conventional war with the other. Their concerns are now being targeted at rogue states, and at countries like China, India, and Pakistan.
Maintaining nuclear stockpiles may give you "super power" status, but in today's world it is your conventional military and your economic strength that gives you the attention.