Russia has stopped complying with the essentially defunct New START arms reduction treaty. Even though Russia appears to be in breach of the treaty, the Biden Administration has decided to continue with the U.S. continuing to report on its nuclear weapons to Russia. In response, Congressman Mike Rogers declared that decision “foolish.”
“It’s foolish to believe that continuing to send data to Russia on U.S. nuclear forces will somehow convince Putin to comply with a treaty he effectively abandoned,” Rogers said in the statement. “All the Biden administration is doing is sharing sensitive U.S. national security data with an adversary – while receiving nothing in return. Why would Putin return to compliance when he’s being rewarded for his non-compliance? As President [Barack] Obama stated in 2009, ‘Rules must be binding. Violations must be punished. Words must mean something.’”
“Sharing data on our nuclear forces with Russia is idiotic and puts our national security at risk,” Rogers said. “The administration must impose costs on Russia for its non-compliance and take prudent steps to prepare for the possibility of continued Russian arms control violations.”
Mike Rogers is the Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee.
The START Treaty (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) limits the number of weapons of mass destruction that the United States and the Russian Federation can deploy.
The new START Treaty limits the United States to just 659 deployed intercontinental ballistic missiles, deployed submarine-launched ballistic missiles, and deployed heavy bombers (the B52, B1, B2, and the new B21 bombers). Russia is limited to just 540 heavy bombers.
Since each launch system can launch multiple warheads on their deployed ICBMs, SLBMs, and heavy bombers, START also limits the number of nuclear warheads the superpowers can have. START limits the U.S. to 1420 warheads, while Russia can have 1549.
The treaty also strictly limits the number of missile launchers, ballistic missile submarines, and heavy bombers the two nations can have – both deployed and non-deployed. The U.S. is limited to only 800, while Russia is limited to only 759.
If the two nations break out of the new START Treaty, that could potentially lead to a renewed nuclear arms race. If so, that puts the U.S. at a disadvantage as much of the Cold War era nuclear weapons-producing capacity of the United States has been allowed to lapse.
The treaty requires Russia and the United States to allow inspection of their nuclear facilities to ensure that both sides comply with the limits. President Vladimir Putin has not allowed the inspections to occur for months. Putin’s decision to suspend Russia’s participation in the treaty simply makes official what has been the de facto Russian policy for a while. It is unknown whether or not suspending the treaty means that Russia will break out of the weapons limits set in the treaty. Following the announcement, the Russian foreign ministry said the decision is “reversible.”
Rogers is serving in his eleventh term representing Alabama’s Third Congressional District.
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