Dear John, 

For five decades, U.S. and Russian leaders have understood that verifiable cuts in their nuclear arsenals are in their national security interests and those of the global community. 

But as we close out 2022, talks on nuclear arms control matters remain on hold as Vladimir Putin’s illegal and disastrous war on Ukraine rages on. 

The last remaining treaty regulating the world’s two largest nuclear arsenals, New START, will expire in 1,140 days. 

Unless Washington and Moscow begin serious negotiations on a new nuclear arms control framework, Russian and U.S. nuclear arsenals will be left unconstrained for the first time since 1972. The dangers of an all-out nuclear arms race with Russia (and China) will grow.

I am writing with short update about the situation, a request for your support our ongoing efforts to advance U.S.-Russian arms control, and to ask you to write President Joe Biden in support of his efforts to resume the dialogue on disarmament.

Where things stand: On Aug. 1, President Biden announced that he was “ready to expeditiously negotiate a new arms control framework to replace New START when it expires in 2026. But negotiation requires a willing partner operating in good faith."

At the time, Putin said, “Russia is open to dialogue on ensuring strategic stability … and improving the situation in arms control.” But on Aug. 8, Russia announced that it would not allow the resumption of U.S. inspections in Russia under New START due to the impact of U.S. travel and visa restrictions on Russian inspections. The United States has said talks on a follow-on agreement cannot begin until New START inspections resume.

The two sides agreed to meet Nov. 28 to resolve the issues, but at the 11th hour, Russia announced it would not attend, claiming that it is “impossible to discuss strategic stability” against the background of the situation in Ukraine. 

Arms Control Association board member Laura Kennedy told The Washington Post that Russia’s decision to thwart the meeting is “irresponsible, especially at this time of heightened tensions when dialogue between the world’s two largest nuclear powers is paramount.”

Later, other Russian officials claimed that Russia had not “canceled” but “postponed” the New START meeting until sometime next year, and that Russia is interested in negotiating a new nuclear arms control agreement before 2026, but Washington must take the first step.

When talks resume, the two sides will need to pursue practical solutions to resolve the substantive issues on the bilateral nuclear arms control agenda.  At a minimum, the two presidents could issue unilateral reciprocal commitments to respect the central limits of New START until such time as new agreements are concluded.

What can and must be done? Even as Russia's war on Ukraine rages on, it is essential that we build pressure on Washington and Moscow to start serious negotiations on a new arms control framework to supersede New START. Our team will be working hard in 2023 to:

• Build congressional support for maintaining commonsense nuclear arms control limits with Russia and engaging in risk reduction talks with China.
• Press other global leaders to urge Russia and the United States that nuclear arms disarmament progress is a legally binding obligation of all nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty member states.
• Engage senior U.S. officials on sensible options for government-to-government risk reduction and disarmament talks.
• Raise public awareness of what is at stake and collaborate with other civil society experts and organizations to amplify our call to action.

But we also need your help. Please send a message to the White House to express your support for Biden's call for negotiations to further reduce the deadly Russian and U.S. arsenals. 

You can count on us to keep pushing for progress even during these most difficult times. And you can always find more news and analysis in each monthly issue of Arms Control Today and through our Nuclear Disarmament Monitor e-newsletter.

Together, we can and must strengthen the guardrails against nuclear catastrophe. 

Onward,

Daryl G. Kimball
Executive Director

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