New START Treaty

New START Treaty
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Name	New START Treaty
Long name	Treaty Between the United States of America and the Russian Federation on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms
Signed	April 8, 2010
Location	Prague, Czech Republic
Effective	February 5, 2011
Condition	Exchange of ratification instruments
Expiration	February 5, 2026
Signatories	Barack Obama and Dmitry Medvedev
Parties	United States and Russia

New START Treaty. The New START Treaty is a bilateral treaty between the United States and Russia, signed by Barack Obama and Dmitry Medvedev on April 8, 2010, in Prague, Czech Republic. This treaty aims to reduce the number of strategic nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles possessed by both countries, as agreed upon by the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty and the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. The treaty is a significant development in the nuclear disarmament efforts of the United States and Russia, following the footsteps of Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev's Reykjavik Summit.

Introduction

The New START Treaty is a critical component of the nuclear non-proliferation regime, which includes the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty. The treaty's signing was facilitated by the United States Senate's Ratification of the treaty, with the support of John Kerry and Richard Lugar. The Russian Federation's State Duma also ratified the treaty, with the backing of Vladimir Putin and Sergey Lavrov. The treaty's implementation is overseen by the United States Department of State and the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency and the United Nations.

Background

The New START Treaty builds upon the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START I), signed by George H.W. Bush and Mikhail Gorbachev in 1991, and the Strategic Offensive Reductions Treaty (SORT), signed by George W. Bush and Vladimir Putin in 2002. The treaty's negotiation was influenced by the NATO-Russia Council and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), which aim to promote European security and cooperative threat reduction. The United States and Russia have a long history of nuclear arms control, dating back to the Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty and the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT), led by Henry Kissinger and Andrei Gromyko.

Provisions

The New START Treaty sets limits on the number of strategic nuclear warheads, intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), and submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) that the United States and Russia can possess. The treaty also establishes a verification regime, which includes on-site inspections and data exchanges, to ensure compliance with the treaty's provisions. The treaty's provisions are similar to those of the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty and the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, which were negotiated by Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev. The treaty's implementation is supported by the United States Department of Defense and the Russian Ministry of Defense, in cooperation with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the European Union.

Negotiation_and_Ratification

The New START Treaty was negotiated by the United States and Russia over several years, with the active involvement of Barack Obama and Dmitry Medvedev. The treaty was signed on April 8, 2010, in Prague, Czech Republic, and was later ratified by the United States Senate and the Russian State Duma. The treaty's ratification was supported by Joe Biden and Sergey Lavrov, who played a crucial role in the negotiation process. The treaty's entry into force was facilitated by the United States Department of State and the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in cooperation with the International Committee of the Red Cross and the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs.

Implementation_and_Verification

The New START Treaty is implemented by the United States and Russia through a series of bilateral consultations and joint commissions. The treaty's verification regime is overseen by the United States Department of State and the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency and the United Nations. The treaty's implementation is also supported by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the European Union, which aim to promote European security and cooperative threat reduction. The treaty's verification regime includes on-site inspections and data exchanges, which are conducted by the United States and Russia to ensure compliance with the treaty's provisions.

Impact_and_Criticism

The New START Treaty has been praised by nuclear disarmament advocates, including International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) and the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI), for its efforts to reduce the number of strategic nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles. However, the treaty has also been criticized by some United States lawmakers, including John McCain and Lindsey Graham, for its perceived limitations on the United States' nuclear deterrence capabilities. The treaty's implementation has also been affected by the Ukraine crisis and the NATO-Russia relations, which have led to increased tensions between the United States and Russia. Despite these challenges, the New START Treaty remains a critical component of the nuclear non-proliferation regime, and its implementation is supported by the United Nations and the European Union.

Category:Treaties