Behind the Latest US-Russia Tensions

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during a visit to Russian Foreign Intelligence Service ( SVR) in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2016. Putin presented Sergei Naryshkin, who previously served as the speaker of the lower house of parliament, as the new chief of the SVR.
Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during a visit to Russian Foreign Intelligence Service ( SVR) in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2016. Putin presented Sergei Naryshkin, who previously served as the speaker of the lower house of parliament, as the new chief of the SVR. Alexei Druzhinin/Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP
Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during a visit to Russian Foreign Intelligence Service ( SVR) in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2016. Putin presented Sergei Naryshkin, who previously served as the speaker of the lower house of parliament, as the new chief of the SVR.
Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during a visit to Russian Foreign Intelligence Service ( SVR) in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2016. Putin presented Sergei Naryshkin, who previously served as the speaker of the lower house of parliament, as the new chief of the SVR. Alexei Druzhinin/Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP

Behind the Latest US-Russia Tensions

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Since 2000, the U.S. and Russia have negotiated to reduce their stockpiles of weapons-grade plutonium by the equivalent of 17,000 nuclear weapons. Now due to tensions over Ukraine and Syria, Russian President, Vladimir Putin, announced his country won’t give up their nuclear fuel. 

Nicolai Petro of the University of Rhode Island joins us to discuss the state of US-Russia relations.