TREATY BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION ON MEASURES FOR THE FURTHER REDUCTION AND LIMITATION OF STRATEGIC OFFENSIVE ARMS
The United States of America and the Russian Federation, hereinafter referred to as the Parties, Believing that global challenges and threats require new approaches to interaction across the whole range of their strategic relations,
Working therefore to forge a new strategic relationship based on mutual trust, openness, predictability, and
cooperat ion,
Desiring to bring their respective nuclear postures into alignment with this new relationship, and endeavoring to
reduce further the role and importance of nuclear weapons,
Committed to the fulfillment of their obligations under Article VI of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear
Weapons of July 1, 1968, and to the achievement of the historic goal of freeing humanity from the nuclear threat,
Expressing strong support for on-going global efforts in non-proliferation, Seeking to preserve continuity in, and provide new impetus to, the step-by-step process of reducing and limiting nuclear
arms while maintaining the safety and security of their nuclear arsenals, and with a view to expanding this process in
the future, including to a multilateral approach,
Guided by the principle of indivisible security and convinced that measures for the reduction and limitation of strategic offensive arms and the other obligations set forth in this Treaty will enhance predictability and stability, and thus the security of both Parties,
Recognizing the existence of the interrelationship between strategic offensive arms and strategic defensive arms, that this interrelationship will become more important as strategic nuclear arms are reduced, and that current strategic defensive arms do not undermine the viability and effectiveness of the strategic offensive arms of the Parties,
Mindful of the impact of conventionally armed ICBMs and SLBMs on strategic stability,
Taking into account the positive effect on the world situation of the significant, verifiable reduction in nuclear arsenals at the turn of the 21st century,
Desiring to create a mechanism for verifying compliance with the obligations under this Treaty, adapted, simplified, and made less costly in comparison to the Treaty Between the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on the Reduction and Limitation of Strategic
Offensive Arms of July 31, 1991, hereinafter referred to as the START Treaty,
Recognizing that the START Treaty has been implemented by the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Russian Federation, Ukraine, and the United States of America, and that the reduction levels envisaged by the START Treaty were achieved,
Deeply appreciating the contribution of the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Kazakhstan, and Ukraine to nuclear disarmament and to strengthening international peace and security as non-nuclear-weapon states under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons of July 1, 1968,
Welcoming the implementation of the Treaty Between the United States of America and the Russian Federation on Strategic Offensive Reductions of May 24, 2002,
Have agreed as follows:
The United States of America and the Russian Federation, hereinafter referred to as the Parties, Believing that global challenges and threats require new approaches to interaction across the whole range of their strategic relations,
Working therefore to forge a new strategic relationship based on mutual trust, openness, predictability, and
cooperat ion,
Desiring to bring their respective nuclear postures into alignment with this new relationship, and endeavoring to
reduce further the role and importance of nuclear weapons,
Committed to the fulfillment of their obligations under Article VI of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear
Weapons of July 1, 1968, and to the achievement of the historic goal of freeing humanity from the nuclear threat,
Expressing strong support for on-going global efforts in non-proliferation, Seeking to preserve continuity in, and provide new impetus to, the step-by-step process of reducing and limiting nuclear
arms while maintaining the safety and security of their nuclear arsenals, and with a view to expanding this process in
the future, including to a multilateral approach,
Guided by the principle of indivisible security and convinced that measures for the reduction and limitation of strategic offensive arms and the other obligations set forth in this Treaty will enhance predictability and stability, and thus the security of both Parties,
Recognizing the existence of the interrelationship between strategic offensive arms and strategic defensive arms, that this interrelationship will become more important as strategic nuclear arms are reduced, and that current strategic defensive arms do not undermine the viability and effectiveness of the strategic offensive arms of the Parties,
Mindful of the impact of conventionally armed ICBMs and SLBMs on strategic stability,
Taking into account the positive effect on the world situation of the significant, verifiable reduction in nuclear arsenals at the turn of the 21st century,
Desiring to create a mechanism for verifying compliance with the obligations under this Treaty, adapted, simplified, and made less costly in comparison to the Treaty Between the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on the Reduction and Limitation of Strategic
Offensive Arms of July 31, 1991, hereinafter referred to as the START Treaty,
Recognizing that the START Treaty has been implemented by the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Russian Federation, Ukraine, and the United States of America, and that the reduction levels envisaged by the START Treaty were achieved,
Deeply appreciating the contribution of the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Kazakhstan, and Ukraine to nuclear disarmament and to strengthening international peace and security as non-nuclear-weapon states under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons of July 1, 1968,
Welcoming the implementation of the Treaty Between the United States of America and the Russian Federation on Strategic Offensive Reductions of May 24, 2002,
Have agreed as follows: