Briefing Book on the Bush-Putin Summit and the U.S. Nuclear Posture Review
May 30, 2002
For more information contact: Robert Gard, rgard@armscontrolcenter.org
President Bush travels to Moscow on May 23 for a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin at which the two leaders are expected to sign a treaty on nuclear reductions and establish a “New Strategic Framework” marking a new era in U.S.-Russia relations. In addition to arms control, the two leaders will touch on a wide range of issues including economic ties and cooperation in the war against terrorism.
The treaty on nuclear reductions is the culmination of several months of intense negotiations between U.S. and Russian officials. While both countries agreed on the basic necessity of downsizing their nuclear arsenals, negotiations stumbled on several questions, including whether deactivated warheads will be stored or destroyed; how reductions will be monitored and verified; and U.S. plans to deploy ballistic missile defenses.
During negotiations with Russian officials, the Bush administration has stuck closely to the policies outlined in the Pentagon’s Nuclear Posture Review. Completed in January 2002 and partly leaked to the press two months later, the review determined that the U.S. needs 1,700-2,200 operationally deployed nuclear warheads to meet its national security needs. Russia would like to make even deeper cuts, down to 1,500 or perhaps fewer nuclear warheads.
Russia also prefers that deactivated nuclear warheads be destroyed, making nuclear reductions irreversible. However, the Bush administration wants to store the weapons and save them for possible re-deployment, another recommendation of the Nuclear Posture Review.
This briefing book is intended to provide important background information and perspectives on major arms control and nonproliferation issues that will be discussed at the summit but left unaddressed by the new treaty, as well as on the Nuclear Posture Review that forms the basis of the Bush administration’s thinking on nuclear weapons and strategic security. The briefing book includes sections summarizing issues for Congress, talking points on the Nuclear Posture Review, and viewpoints from U.S. and Russian officials, Members of Congress, and newspaper editorials.
The appendices include excerpts from leaked portions of the Nuclear Posture Review and other useful source materials such as Congressional testimony, letters from Members of Congress to President Bush, and opinion pieces by former government officials.
We hope that it proves useful as a reference guide and educational tool.
Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation
May 2002
1. UPDATE: Text of U.S.-Russia Treaty on Nuclear Arms Reductions
Text of Joint Declaration
CONTENTS
Chap. 1 - Introduction
Chap. 2 - Major Issues for the Bush-Putin Summit
Chap. 3 - Key Issues for Congress
Chap. 4 - Talking Points on the Nuclear Posture Review
Chap. 5 - Summary of the Nuclear Posture Review
Chap. 6 - Comparison of 1994 Nuclear Posture Review and 2002 Nuclear Posture Review
Chap. 7 - The Bush-Putin Summit and the Nuclear Posture Review: What Bush
Administration Officials are Saying
Chap. 8 - The Bush-Putin Summit and the Nuclear Posture Review: What
Members of Congress are Saying
Chap. 9 - The Bush-Putin Summit and the Nuclear Posture Review: What Russian
Officials are Saying
Chap. 10 - Editorials: Viewpoints on the Bush-Putin Summit and the Nuclear
Posture Review
Chap. 11 - Useful Links
APPENDICES
Appendix I - Transcript of White House Background Briefing Re: Strategic Arms
Reduction Treaty
Appendix II - Excerpts from the Leaked Portions of the Nuclear Posture Review
Appendix III - U.S.and Russian Deployed Strategic Nuclear Weapons
Appendix IV - Summary of START I Treaty Verification and Transparency
Measures
Appendix V - Douglas Feith Testimony, February 14, 2002
Appendix VI - Reed/Levin Letter to President Bush, April 4, 2002
Appendix VII - Biden/Helms Letter to President Bush, March 15, 2002
Appendix VIII - McNamara and Graham OpEd, March 14, 2002
Appendix IX - Senator Biden OpEd, May 16, 2002
Appendix X - Nunn,Perry, and Habiger OpEd, May 21, 2002