Washington and Moscow (CNN) With only weeks to go until the general election , the Trump administration is renewing a push to finalize a nuclear agreement with Moscow , hoping that a deal may force China to reconsider its position on trilateral arms talks. The race by the Trump administration to conclude talks with the Russians before Election Day is driven by several motivations. Trump has repeatedly signaled his interest in leaving the three-decade old New START agreement, designed to reduce the risk of war between Russia and the West. Billingslea previously indicated in an interview with the Russian newspaper Kommersant that the Trump administration is looking to have a document signed by both presidents before the election. "You know, Russia must decide for itself if it wants to extend the New START treaty," Billingslea told Kommersant.

Source: CNN October 12, 2020 15:45 UTC