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(Image source: CBS)
BY JOHN O'CONNOR
President Obama is renewing his stand against nuclear weapons, urging Russia to join the
U.S in slashing its supply of nuclear warheads.
Following in the footsteps of past Presidents Ronald Reagan and John F. Kennedy, the president
spoke Wednesday morning about nuclear disarmament at Berlin's iconic Brandenburg Gate. (Via
HLN)
"Peace with justice means pursuing the security of a world without nuclear weapons, no matter
how distant that dream may be. And I intend to seek negotiated cuts with Russia to move
beyond Cold War nuclear postures." (Via CTV)
The president went on to say the U.S. is prepared to scale back its supply of strategic nuclear
warheads by one-third if Russia agrees to do the same.
Obama's proposal would reduce both countries' nuclear stockpiles by about 1,000 warheads.
He says it will not jeopardize the U.S.'s already existing "strong and credible strategic
[nuclear] deterrent." (Via NBC)
CNN's Jessica Yellin says nuclear disarmament has been the president's chief foreign policy
priority and that this speech is important for his image after other policies have caused
him to lose favor with Europeans.
"The president has disappointed many Europeans during his time in office by continuing the
drones program, continuing Gitmo, this NSA surveillance program."
The president's speech Wednesday comes almost exactly 50 years after JFK's famous speech
at the Brandenburg Gate — "I am a Berliner." (Via YouTube / forquignon)
The Brandenburg Gate was also where President Ronald Reagan delivered one of his most famous
lines — "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!" (Via YouTube / JohnJ2427)
Both presidents made their historic speeches from the gate's west side, and similarly,
Obama used the stage to address global challenges — only this time from the gate's east side.
(Via The Washington Post)
The U.S. will host a summit in 2016 to address the international flow of nuclear weapons
and material. The president says he will push for domestic support to ratify a comprehensive
nuclear-test ban treaty prior to that summit.