Lynn Rusten

An overly ambitious approach will be unnecessarily risky, you can have the belt and suspenders, and start to lay the groundwork for a more ambitious agreement. But I don't think getting rid of the belt and suspenders enhances chances of getting the more ambitious agreement.

We are heading into a direction we have not been in in 40 years : no arms control limits or rules that we are both following and that is very dangerous.

The history of the arms race has been one side trying to get advantage over the other and it never works, neither we nor the allies are more secure as a result. One use would be devastating. And it is a huge amount of money on top of it.

History suggests new negotiations will take time, so it's important to get started on defining the parameters of a new negotiation while preserving the security benefits for the American people of maintaining New START in place.