No. 2 State Dept. official to lead nuclear talks with Russia next week

The State Department on Friday announced that its second-top diplomat will lead the U.S. delegation for nuclear talks with Russia and set to take place in Geneva next week.

Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman will lead the U.S. team for the first Strategic Stability Dialogue with Russia, a key meeting to discuss efforts at nonproliferation between the two nuclear powers.

The bilateral meeting will take place on Wednesday.

The meeting follows a commitment made between President Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin and announced during their first face-to-face summit in Geneva last month.

The agreement to engage in dialogue over arms control and nuclear nonproliferation is being viewed as a promising step toward global safety and security despite deep disagreements and acrimony between Washington and Moscow.

Sherman will be joined by Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Bonnie Jenkins, who was confirmed by the Senate for her post Wednesday.

Jenkins was nominated by the president in January for her position but her confirmation vote was ultimately delayed by a hold from Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who is blocking confirmation votes in the Senate for at least 11 other State Department nominees.

Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) on Monday invoked cloture on Jenkins’s nomination to get around Cruz’s hold and allow her confirmation vote to proceed.