ANDRIA HALL, CNN ANCHOR: Late-breaking news from overseas this morning, four years after the U.S. Senate ratified the START II arms reduction treaty, Russia is signing on. Russia's Duma, moments ago, approved the treaty that cuts in half each nation's stock-pile of nuclear warheads. CNN Moscow bureau chief Steve Harrigan joins us now live with the very latest. Hi, Steve.</s>STEVE HARRIGAN, MOSCOW BUREAU CHIEF: Andria, after sitting in the lower house of parliament, the State Duma, for five years because of delays, either squabbles between Russia and the West or squabbles here internally between the Russian president and his parliament, now finally, the State Duma has passed the START II arms limitation agreement. It's a real victory for Russia's new president-elect, Vladimir Putin. It's something he pushed for, it comes at a very good time for Mr. Putin as well. Mr. Putin is heading off to the West for his first trip since being elected president. He heads for London on Sunday. This shows, not only that he can keep his word, but also that he can handle his legislators, something that Boris Yeltsin was not able to do. It cuts nuclear warheads in U.S. and Russia from current levels of about 6,000 to 3,500 a piece. It also opens up the way for more serious arms talks, a START III agreement, which could reduce nuclear arms even further -- Andria.</s>HALL: Steve Harrigan, reporting live form Moscow. Thank you, Steve. Search CNN.com CNNSI.com CNNmoney.com The Web
Russian Duma Ratifies START II