How did disputes over Iraq, Georgia, and missile defense complicate talks to replace START I?

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Strategic Arms Reduction Talks U.S. Pres. Barack Obama talking with Russian Pres. Dmitry Medvedev, just before the two leaders issued a joint statement about their continued cooperation on the New START Treaty, December 4, 2009.

Negotiations to replace the START I treaty were significantly complicated by broader geopolitical tensions between the United States and Russia. Specifically, the diplomatic environment was strained by the U.S. occupation of Iraq in 2003 and Russia’s 2008 invasion of Georgia.

Furthermore, discussions were hindered by U.S. plans to deploy ballistic missile defense systems in eastern Europe. The United States maintained that these installations were intended to deter potential threats from Iran’s growing missile capabilities, but the project remained a point of contention in the arms control dialogue. These factors created a difficult atmosphere for reaching a successor agreement until the transition to a new administration in Washington in 2009, which eventually paved the way for the New START treaty.