Security Council
US-Russia Nuclear Issues
The Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), which was created in 1991 and took effect on December 5, 1994, was made between the United States of America and the USSR with the intention of lowering the nuclear stockpiles of both countries. The treaty dictated that neither country could hold more than 6,000 nuclear warheads and could only have a total of 1,600 nuclear bombers (ICBMs, submarines, bombers). The treaty was effectively upheld until December 5, 2009 when it expired.
Since the end of 2009, there has been no disarmament treaty between the United States and Russia. In early 2009 there was increased tension as Russian President Dmitri Medvedev signaled that Russia would begin a large-scale rearmament commencing in 2011. In addition to this potential for rearmament, the head of Russia’s strategic missile forces, Nikolai Solovstov, has said that they will be deploying their newest RS-24 missiles after the treaty expires.
Both sides have since agreed to continue to honor the restrictions set by START until a new treaty has been created. Currently, Unites States and Russian negotiators have reached an “agreement in principle”. Although there is no written document stating the terms, the two sides have come to an agreement on what will be in the treaty. The new deal would drastically lower the number of warheads each side could hold, as well as reduce the number of delivery vehicles. The cap on warheads would be dropped from 6,000 to between 1,500 and 1,675 per side, while the nuclear-delivery systems would drop to between 700 and 800 each. Transcribing this agreement into treaty text may take an extended period of time, spanning anywhere from two weeks to a few months.
This treaty is extremely important for all nuclear states and all states that are attempting to gain nuclear capabilities, as it will set a precedent for how they will be treated by these two major powers. The issue has also brought up fears of a return to cold war diplomacy, as Russia has become increasingly belligerent in the last two years. It is extremely important that the Security Council mediate this treaty in order to set a standard that will make the world a safer place.