Meanwhile, both Moscow and Washington would agree in principle to cut their nuclear arsenals, now about 6,000 warheads each, by about two-thirds.

The proposed Start treaty would cut the superpowers' nuclear arsenals by a third.

To this end, the nuclear powers should drastically cut their arsenals and take arms off high alert, as Mr. Bush proposed last week.

They have actually massively cut their arsenals.

Such measures, she said, would open the way for the superpowers to agree next year to cut their arsenals of intercontinental ballistic missiles by half.

Some critics also want to use the amending process to press the nuclear-armed states to halt testing and cut their arsenals.

His ultimate dream, he said, his blue eyes calm, was for nations to cut their nuclear arsenals to a few hundred arms or less.

On chemical weapons, the two sides plan to sign an agreement to stop production of new weapons and drastically cut both sides' arsenals.

Next month the superpowers are expected to agree to cut their long-range nuclear arsenals by a third.

The East-West competition to build new weapons has given way to serious talk of cutting the world's arsenals in half.