Moscow ratifies nuclear arms treaty
Source: Agencies |
January 27, 2011, Thursday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
RUSSIA'S upper house of parliament unanimously ratified the New START nuclear arms pact with the United States yesterday, the centerpiece of President Barack Obama's efforts to "reset" ties with Moscow.
The treaty limits each country to 1,550 strategic warheads, down from the current ceiling of 2,200, and also re-establishes a system for -monitoring that ended in December 2009 with the expiration of a -previous arms deal.
The approval by Russia's Federation Council came one day after it was passed by the lower house of parliament. It now has to be signed by President Dmitry Medvedev.
The pact was approved by the United States Senate last month after Obama pressed strongly for its passage, telephoning a handful of hesitant Republicans for their votes.
While the Senate resolution said the treaty shouldn't restrict US plans to develop a missile defense system, the Russian ratification states that the treaty can only be fulfilled if emerging missile defense systems don't erode the Russian nuclear deterrent.
The Russian bill also mimics the Senate resolution's concerns that the remaining nuclear arsenal is effective by emphasizing the need to modernize Russia's nuclear forces.
Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov told the upper house yesterday that Russia was working to develop its own missile defense system, but didn't give any specifics.
Addressing concerns about Russia being forced to disarm under the treaty, he said that Russia now has significantly fewer missiles and bombers than the treaty allows anyway.
"The treaty doesn't constrain us in any way," Serdyukov said. "Its -parameters considerably exceed our potential today."
Even after a decade of beefing up its arsenals, Russia won't reach the treaty's upper limit, he said, adding that Russia doesn't need a larger number of nuclear weapons in order to protect itself.
"We have a program envisaging how many missiles we will put on duty in the next decade ... but even then we still won't reach the treaty's parameters," Serdyukov said.
Aging Soviet-built-missiles still form the core of Russia's nuclear forces, and the military has struggled to build their replacement. The "Bulava" missile, intended for the latest generation of Russia's nuclear submarines, has suffered a string of test failures and it remains unclear when it will be ready.
In Brussels, NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen welcomed the ratification, saying it was "good news for international security and stability."
The treaty limits each country to 1,550 strategic warheads, down from the current ceiling of 2,200, and also re-establishes a system for -monitoring that ended in December 2009 with the expiration of a -previous arms deal.
The approval by Russia's Federation Council came one day after it was passed by the lower house of parliament. It now has to be signed by President Dmitry Medvedev.
The pact was approved by the United States Senate last month after Obama pressed strongly for its passage, telephoning a handful of hesitant Republicans for their votes.
While the Senate resolution said the treaty shouldn't restrict US plans to develop a missile defense system, the Russian ratification states that the treaty can only be fulfilled if emerging missile defense systems don't erode the Russian nuclear deterrent.
The Russian bill also mimics the Senate resolution's concerns that the remaining nuclear arsenal is effective by emphasizing the need to modernize Russia's nuclear forces.
Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov told the upper house yesterday that Russia was working to develop its own missile defense system, but didn't give any specifics.
Addressing concerns about Russia being forced to disarm under the treaty, he said that Russia now has significantly fewer missiles and bombers than the treaty allows anyway.
"The treaty doesn't constrain us in any way," Serdyukov said. "Its -parameters considerably exceed our potential today."
Even after a decade of beefing up its arsenals, Russia won't reach the treaty's upper limit, he said, adding that Russia doesn't need a larger number of nuclear weapons in order to protect itself.
"We have a program envisaging how many missiles we will put on duty in the next decade ... but even then we still won't reach the treaty's parameters," Serdyukov said.
Aging Soviet-built-missiles still form the core of Russia's nuclear forces, and the military has struggled to build their replacement. The "Bulava" missile, intended for the latest generation of Russia's nuclear submarines, has suffered a string of test failures and it remains unclear when it will be ready.
In Brussels, NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen welcomed the ratification, saying it was "good news for international security and stability."
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
