By David McGlinchey
Global Security Newswire

The U.S.-Russian Strategic Offensive Reductions Treaty might make it through the U.S. Senate and the Russian Duma by the end of the year, officials said this week (see GSN, Oct. 1).

U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Joseph Biden (D-Del.) said Wednesday that the treaty will probably move easily whether the Senate deals with it before or after a planned recess this month (see GSN, July 9).

“I just want the message to go out that there is no delay related to opposition to this treaty,” he said.

The committee expects to receive reports on the treaty today from the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, according to Lynne Weil, Biden’s press secretary.  If those reports arrive as promised and contain no information that would cause concern, the treaty could move out of committee by next week.

“Theoretically, if we get the reports [Friday], staff could have a chance to look at them over the weekend,” Weil told Global Security Newswire.

If Congress remains in session next week as anticipated, “it is entirely possible” that the committee could move the treaty along, Weil said.

The full Senate might address the treaty after the November elections, Biden said.

“We may have a lame-duck session.  It would be my intention to bring it up in the lame-duck section to get it finished,” Biden said.  “Whether I am the ranking member or assisting the chairman or the chairman, I think we could both say we’d be prepared to move it immediately.”

Russia Promises Progress

Meanwhile, the treaty will be adopted soon in Russia, the Russian ambassador to the United Nations said Wednesday.

“Russia is going to ratify the new treaty by the end of the year,” Andrey Granovsky told the U.N. General Assembly’s First Committee on Disarmament and International Security.

Russian lawmakers have been meeting recently to discuss the treaty but budget problems have slowed its progress, said Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Georgy Mamedov, according to Russian reports (see GSN, Sept. 25).

For further information, see:

U.S.-Russia Nuclear Reduction Treaty Text (U.S. State Department)

Bush Announces Moscow Treaty

U.S. State Department Fact Sheet on Moscow Treaty

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