At the expiration of the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START—our arms reduction, inspection and verification treaty) on 4 December 2009, American and Russian inspectors left the plants where they have been inspecting and monitoring since the late 1980’s. The Project for Nuclear Awareness would like to express its disappointment in the expiration of START without an immediate follow-on treaty.

           
A follow-on treaty, with a bridging agreement until both national legislatures can ratify the treaty, is critically important not only for our broader relations with Russia but to set an important precedent and example for the rest of the world. This follow-on treaty is expected to have streamlined and less expensive verification systems and deeper reductions in nuclear weapons on both sides. START also provided the verification regime for the SORT treaty of the mid 1990’s. A follow-on agreement would likely continue to support SORT’s mission.

START evoked the prospect of the two nuclear-weapons superpowers being open, transparent, and allowing for bilateral verification and monitoring. The US and Russia control 95% of the world’s nuclear weapons and the necessary close dialogue of START allowed both countries to address other outstanding issues including NATO’s role in Afghanistan, the missile defense shield, and the ongoing problem of Iranian uranium enrichment. To seek sanctions in the UN Security Council against Iran, the US must have Russia’s support.

PNA knows that negotiators are working hard to achieve a treaty acceptable to both parties. We urge them to complete and sign this treaty as soon as possible, to continue upholding the powerful and positive precedent START began. The new treaty must be fully transparent, verifiable, and enforceable. The two countries need not have perfect diplomatic relations to disarm peacefully, achieve a large number of reductions, and enact a working and trustworthy verification system.