U.S. Senate ratifies new arms reduction pact with Russia
Dec. 24, 2010
The U.S. Senate ratified a new U.S.-Russia accord on nuclear arms reduction on Wednesday, paving the way for the world's two major nuclear powers to reduce strategic nuclear arsenals.
The Senate, which passed a closure motion to end debate by a 67-28 vote the previous day, voted 71-26 in favor of ratification. The new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, or START, will take effect soon after the two countries exchange instruments of ratification.
''This treaty will enhance our leadership to stop the spread of nuclear weapons and seek the peace of a world without them,'' President Barack Obama told a press conference following the Senate ratification.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also said in a statement that the ratification is ''a great step forward in enhancing our national security.''
''A responsible partnership between the world's two largest nuclear powers that limits our nuclear arsenals while maintaining strategic stability is imperative to prompting global security,'' she added.
Russia also hailed the move, with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov telling the Interfax news agency that he welcomes the ratification.
Obama has pushed for the early ratification of the new START, saying it is important in terms of global nonproliferation efforts.
The United States and Russia signed the new START in April to implement cuts to their deployed nuclear warheads. The pact will replace the 1991 arms reduction accord, or START I, which expired in December 2009.
Once the new treaty comes into effect, both sides will have to reduce within seven years their nuclear warheads on deployed missiles and bombers to 1,550 each, down from 6,000 under START 1 and between 1,700 and 2,200 under the 2002 strategic offensive reductions treaty, commonly known as the Moscow Treaty.
Aside from limiting the number of warheads, the new START caps the number of launchers to 800, half of the 1,600 allowed under START 1, and also restricts the number of deployed nuclear delivery systems to 700.
(Distributed by Kyodo News on Dec. 22, 2010)
The Senate, which passed a closure motion to end debate by a 67-28 vote the previous day, voted 71-26 in favor of ratification. The new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, or START, will take effect soon after the two countries exchange instruments of ratification.
''This treaty will enhance our leadership to stop the spread of nuclear weapons and seek the peace of a world without them,'' President Barack Obama told a press conference following the Senate ratification.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also said in a statement that the ratification is ''a great step forward in enhancing our national security.''
''A responsible partnership between the world's two largest nuclear powers that limits our nuclear arsenals while maintaining strategic stability is imperative to prompting global security,'' she added.
Russia also hailed the move, with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov telling the Interfax news agency that he welcomes the ratification.
Obama has pushed for the early ratification of the new START, saying it is important in terms of global nonproliferation efforts.
The United States and Russia signed the new START in April to implement cuts to their deployed nuclear warheads. The pact will replace the 1991 arms reduction accord, or START I, which expired in December 2009.
Once the new treaty comes into effect, both sides will have to reduce within seven years their nuclear warheads on deployed missiles and bombers to 1,550 each, down from 6,000 under START 1 and between 1,700 and 2,200 under the 2002 strategic offensive reductions treaty, commonly known as the Moscow Treaty.
Aside from limiting the number of warheads, the new START caps the number of launchers to 800, half of the 1,600 allowed under START 1, and also restricts the number of deployed nuclear delivery systems to 700.
(Distributed by Kyodo News on Dec. 22, 2010)
