Trump says he would lift Russian sanctions for nuclear arms reduction deal


President-elect Donald Trump may offer to lift existing sanctions on Russia in exchange for a deal to reduce nuclear arms, The Times of London reports. In an interview with the paper released Monday, Trump said he thinks nuclear weapons "should be way down and reduced substantially," and wants to "see if we can make some good deals with Russia."
This marks a change in tone from December, when Trump tweeted that "the United States must greatly strengthen and expand its nuclear capability." The United States has more than 1,300 nuclear warheads, and Russia has nearly 1,800, Reuters reports.
The Obama administration in recent weeks expanded sanctions and expelled 35 diplomats who were suspected spies, in retaliation for Russia's alleged hacking of Democrats in the 2016 presidential election. Trump said he hopes to have a better relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin than President Obama has had.
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In the same interview, Trump slammed NATO as "obsolete" and said Britain's controversial exit from the European Union will wind up "being a great thing."
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Jessica Hullinger is a writer and former deputy editor of The Week Digital. Originally from the American Midwest, she completed a degree in journalism at Indiana University Bloomington before relocating to New York City, where she pursued a career in media. After joining The Week as an intern in 2010, she served as the title’s audience development manager, senior editor and deputy editor, as well as a regular guest on “The Week Unwrapped” podcast. Her writing has featured in other publications including Popular Science, Fast Company, Fortune, and Self magazine, and she loves covering science and climate-related issues.
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