START-I (Treaty), which was signed by George H.W. Bush, the President of the USA, which had the intercontinental nuclear weapons and Mikhail Gorbachev, who was the President of the Soviet Union, in 1991 and the treaty expired in December last year. Now it is understood that a new treaty, which was worked on before and after the expiration, will be signed eventually in the following days.

As it is remembered, Barack Obama and Dimitri Medmedev, who came together on 24^th September because of G20 Meeting, which took place in Pittsburgh, the USA, announced that they were in the final stage of the preparations for the new treaty. In the international arena, this situation gave the impression that it accelerated softening the relations between the two countries.

Although there was up and downs within three months after it, it was revealed that the USA and the Russian Federation adhered to the idea of a new treaty and they could agree on a document that would subject both sides to reduce their weapon inventories with the rate of 25-30%. 

The President Obama had officially announced his desire and commitment to create a world with no nuclear weapon and to promote the international peace and security in a few months after his election in Prague, Czechoslovakia. And now it was stated that the President Obama would meet the President of the Russian Federation and the signature ceremony would be performed there.

With the new treaty, Russian and American nuclear warhead stores will be limited by control mechanisms and with the help of control and verification mechanisms, there will be mutual trust and understanding. Under these circumstances, it will be possible for the USA and Russia to normalize their relations for problematic issues. For instance, it will be possible for Russia to have a more thoughtful attitude towards the USA’s workings on more sanctions against Iran.

The treaty in Prague with the signature ceremony will be an opportunity for Obama and Medvedev to meet the presidents of 11 states of the Central and Eastern Europe as well as the bilateral discussions of the two leaders.

It is seen that the close relations between the USA and the Russian Federation will be helpful to eliminate the recent tensions between The People’s Republic of China and the USA. As a matter of fact, the President of China Hu Jintau stated that he would personally attend the summit meeting on nuclear spread, which will be held on 12^th and 13^th April in Washington on Obama’s initiative. Before this statement, the Chinese administration gave the impression that they could lean towards the resolution, which is on more sanction against Iran, unless it includes harsh ordinances. Feeling this and realizing the threat of losing the support of China, Iran decided to hold a conference on nuclear energy on 17^th and 18^th April in Tehran and invited China to this conference. It can be argued that Iran wants to prove in the international arena that its nuclear activities have peaceful causes.

Meanwhile, another point that caught the attention was such: In a speech made to the press, the Spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China stated that they believed the recent tension between their country and the USA would be for the benefit of neither country; emphasized that there should be an effort to normalize the relations; and indicated how the relations among super powers cause chain reaction effect.  

Not only the summit meeting, which will be held in Washington, but also the meeting, which has been being planned to be held in Iran, once more illustrate the significance of nuclear issues for the states in determining their strategies for long term and in the formation of international balances.

The states support the efforts to eradicate nuclear weapons in the world and on the other hand they believe that to have nuclear power equals to have regional and international power, and thus they are in a dilemma.

As a result of this fact, the states with nuclear activities, also considering the heavy pressure of these activities on the international power balances, should act in accordance with the possible coercive measures and make their plans accordingly.