Nuclear Powers Discuss Arms Control
New START, the last remaining treaty limiting the world's two most deadly arsenals, expires one year from today. Arms control experts urge the Trump administration to agree to extend the treaty.
New START expires on Feb. 5, 2021, but can be extended by up to five years. Here are responses to the common criticisms about an extension of the treaty.
Former officials from the U.S. government outline the case for extending New START and address frequently asked questions about the treaty and the future of arms control.
Not much time remains for extending New START, says Russia. The United States has yet to issue a decision regarding the future of the accord, while administration officials give conflicting remarks about bringing in China to an arms control agreement. The United States and Russia met in Vienna in January to talk about strategic security.
This year, the world will mark the 75th anniversary of the catastrophic atomic bombings of the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the 50th anniversary of the entry into force of the indispensable but imperfect nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT).
Russia seeks to broaden the scope of traditional strategic arms agreements.
Russia appears ready to extend the treaty, but Trump administration officials continue to talk about
other options.
The three nations have been engaged in discussions while U.S.-North Korean diplomacy gains larger headlines.
Russia expresses willingness to extend New START without preconditions by the year's end, leaving the next move up to the Trump administration. The United States tests a second missile once banned by the INF Treaty, and France rejects Russia's proposal on an INF-range missile moratorium but expresses support for holding security talks with Moscow. The Trump administration's debate over the Open Skies Treaty, meanwhile, continues.
*Updated: March 16, 2020
Four decades ago, the U.S. Defense Department detected an imminent nuclear attack against the United States through the early-warning system of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD).
As the treaty's expiration approaches, Russia voices concern.
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Though imperfect, the SALT agreements set a standard for future bilateral nuclear arms control treaty negotiations.