News In Brief

Chernenko: USSR open to arms talks despite US

The United States has shown no willingness to resume arms negotiations, forcing the Soviet Union to respond by deploying new missiles in Eastern Europe, Soviet leader Konstantin Chernenko said Monday.

''No signs are in sight of the US government's striving to come to agreement on the limitation and reduction of nuclear armaments on the basis of the principle of equality and equal security,'' Mr. Chernenko told visiting West German opposition leader Hans-Jochen Vogel.

But he said the Soviet Union is ready to resume talks on both strategic and medium-range weapons in Europe.

''The talks can be resumed at any moment,'' Chernenko said. ''Let the United States remove the obstacles which it created by fielding its new missiles in Europe.''