I. Read the article. Comment on the meaning of the highlighted words and expressions; summarize the text

I. Read the article. Comment on the meaning of the highlighted words and expressions; summarize the text.

Duma votes in favour of START deal

Russia’s Duma has finally ratified the replacement to the START¹ arms-control deal. In a vote on Tuesday evening 350 representatives of the lower house of the national parliament endorsed the deal, 96 opposed it and one abstained. However, the vexed issue of NATO’s proposed European missile defence shield still affected the debate. Prior to the poll Konstantin Kosachev, head of the Duma’s international affairs committee, restated Russia’s willingness to walk away if there was any attempt to sneak in strategic defensive weapons without applying them to the terms of the treaty, RIA Novosti reported.

The treaty was agreed by presidents Dmitry Medvedev and Barack Obama and signed in April 2010 in Prague (went into force on 26 January 2011). The previous arms-control treaty expired in Dec. 2009. But it took until late last year for the US Senate to get the document ratified, amid fears of a Republican revolt which could have spoiled the whole thing. Russia’s two houses, the Duma and the Federation Council, have now recommended the treaty for approval, removing any remaining obstacles before the text is officially adopted. The terms of the agreement limit deployed strategic nuclear weapons to 1,550, and restrict deployable ICBM carriers to 700.

Note:

START (for Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) was a bilateral treaty between the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) on the Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms. The treaty was signed on 31 July 1991 and entered into force on 5 December 1994. The treaty barred its signatories from deploying more than 6,000 nuclear warheads atop a total of 1,600 ICBMs (intercontinental ballistic missiles), submarine-launched ballistic missiles, and bombers. START negotiated the largest and most complex arms control treaty in history, and its final implementation in late 2001 resulted in the removal of about 80 percent of all strategic nuclear weapons then in existence. Proposed by United States President Ronald Reagan, it was renamed START I after negotiations began on the second START treaty, which became START II.
II. Read the information below. Extract the topical vocabulary.

Disarmament is the act of reducing, limiting, or abolishing weapons. Disarmament generally refers to a country's military or specific type of weaponry. Disarmament is often taken to mean total elimination of weapons of mass destruction, such as nuclear arms. General and Complete Disarmament refers to the removal of all weaponry, including conventional arms.

Nuclear disarmament refers to both the act of reducing or eliminating nuclear weapons and to the end state of a nuclear-free world, in which nuclear weapons are completely eliminated.

Proponents of nuclear disarmament say that it would lessen the probability of nuclear war occurring, especially accidentally. Critics of nuclear disarmament say that it would undermine deterrence.

Major nuclear disarmament groups include Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, Greenpeace and International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War. There have been many large anti-nuclear demonstrations and protests. On June 12, 1982, one million people demonstrated in New York City's Central Park against nuclear weapons and for an end to the cold war arms race. It was the largest anti-nuclear protest and the largest political demonstration in American history.

(From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)
III. Translate into Russian.

Disarmament Barriers

The political and economic barriers to disarmament are considerable, mostly based on the concentrated power of those supporting militaristic approaches to foreign policy. One key barrier is ideological. Many foundations and universities have failed to support research in disarmament, instead favoring more ad hoc and limited approaches like arms control, conflict resolution, and limits on weapons systems in specific countries. Part of this may be pragmatism, but often it is the result of a limited understanding of the history of disarmament. Attempts to restrict nuclear proliferation are of course a necessity. Supporting these efforts would be assisted by checking the link between military intervention and nuclear proliferation. Many countries fearful of being invaded, particularly by the U.S., have tried to secure or develop nuclear weapons. As a result, policies to limit military interventions may be part of a larger demilitarization program

IV. Translate into English using the prompts.