美国前总统布什计划在东欧部署导弹防御系统，以及2008年俄罗斯与格鲁吉亚爆发军事冲突后，美俄关系急速恶化，北约东扩更令美俄紧张关系跌入低谷。可是在全球面临经济危机的前提下，双方都在考虑重新恢复关系。《新闻周刊》分析称，伦敦二十国峰会将成为两国"和好的良机"，而双方关于控制武器数量的谈判，将成为恢复关系的"起点"。


The United States and Russia have agreed to reopen talks on reducing long-range nuclear weapons. The announcement was made as U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitri Medvedev met in London, the site of the G20 economic summit.

President Obama and Mr. Medvedev say it is time to begin a new era in U.S.-Russian relations.

They are starting with a pledge to reduce strategic offensive arms.

"What I believe we have begun today is a very constructive dialogue that will allow us to work on issues of mutual interest, like the reduction of nuclear weapons and the strengthening of our non-proliferation treaties," said Mr. Obama.

In a written statement issued as they met in London, they announced the first substantive round of arms talks between their two countries in more than a decade.

New arms deal?

They say they are instructing their negotiators to begin work on a new arms deal to replace the soon-to-expire Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, which was signed in 1991.

The goal is to go well beyond the so-called START agreement, which limited their nuclear arsenals to between 1,700 and 2,200 warheads.

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs says the two countries have not settled on a new cap. But as he sat down with the Russian leader for the first time, President Obama sounded optimistic.

"What we are seeing today is the beginning of new progress in U.S.-Russian relations," he said.