Presidents Barack Obama and Dmitry Medvedev...

However, this discussion proved no more successful than the climate change conference proper, as the two heads of state emerged from the talks saying almost in chorus that they still needed to finalize technical details. In diplomatic code, this usually means there are serious predicaments hampering an agreement.

In this case, there are problems with the verification regime. In any case, a new START treaty is unlikely to be signed in Copenhagen or before yearend at all. The negotiators are already on holiday and will not meet until mid-January. Therefore, the presidential agreement can only be finalized next year and not necessarily soon.

To sign a new START treaty is not a goal in itself and will not resolve all the current nuclear issues, despite the high hopes voiced by the media and PR professionals serving the Russian and U.S. government agencies.

The document will certainly have symbolic significance, primarily for the two presidents: it will be Medvedev"s

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