Franklin Pierce
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Trump administration officials expressed doubts the 2010 New START arms treaty will be extended over concerns about Moscow's failure to comply with that and several other arms treaties.
The Pentagon, meanwhile, is moving ahead with designing a new ground-based missile to counter Russia's illegal cruise missiles built in violation of the 1987 Intermediate-range Nuclear Force (INF) Treaty.
Andrea Thompson, undersecretary of state for arms control and international security, told a Senate hearing Tuesday that Russia's new strategic weapons announced in February, are a factor in whether the United States will seek to extend New START.
"No decision's been made at this time," she told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. "All options are on the table."
Among the options being considered are withdrawing from New START; re-negotiating inspection and verification provisions as part of treaty extension; or adopting a more limited and simple agreement similar to the 2002 Moscow Treaty that called for significant reductions in strategic offensive arms.
"Among issues to consider will be Russia's decision to manufacture compliance issues regarding U.S. weapons, and the uncertainty of whether or not Russia's recently announced strategic nuclear weapons will be held accountable under the treaty," Thompson explained in her prepared testimony.
In response to U.S. questioning of Russian treaty violations, Moscow has responded with disinformation and false counter charges of U.S. noncompliance.
"Russia's response to each of these situations is to employ its standard playbook of distraction, misinformation, and counter-accusations," Thompson said.
Trump Leaning Against Extending Arms Treaty
The Pentagon, meanwhile, is moving ahead with designing a new ground-based missile to counter Russia's illegal cruise missiles built in violation of the 1987 Intermediate-range Nuclear Force (INF) Treaty.
Andrea Thompson, undersecretary of state for arms control and international security, told a Senate hearing Tuesday that Russia's new strategic weapons announced in February, are a factor in whether the United States will seek to extend New START.
"No decision's been made at this time," she told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. "All options are on the table."
Among the options being considered are withdrawing from New START; re-negotiating inspection and verification provisions as part of treaty extension; or adopting a more limited and simple agreement similar to the 2002 Moscow Treaty that called for significant reductions in strategic offensive arms.
"Among issues to consider will be Russia's decision to manufacture compliance issues regarding U.S. weapons, and the uncertainty of whether or not Russia's recently announced strategic nuclear weapons will be held accountable under the treaty," Thompson explained in her prepared testimony.
In response to U.S. questioning of Russian treaty violations, Moscow has responded with disinformation and false counter charges of U.S. noncompliance.
"Russia's response to each of these situations is to employ its standard playbook of distraction, misinformation, and counter-accusations," Thompson said.
Trump Leaning Against Extending Arms Treaty
