The U.S. Senate voted 95-0 yesterday to approve the U.S.-Russian Strategic Offensive Reductions Treaty, which would limit each former Cold War rival to no more than 2,200 deployed strategic nuclear warheads by the end of 2012 (see GSN, March 6).

The pact, also known as the Moscow Treaty, is “evidence that the U.S.-Russian relationship has turned the corner,” Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) said (Paul Richter, Los Angeles Times, March 7).

The treaty’s ratification could even help the White House obtain Russian support for the U.S.-British-Spanish-supported draft U.N. resolution on Iraq, Lugar said (see related GSN story, today).

“It’s the reason why Russia might eventually work with the United States in the Security Council on Iraq, because they value the relationship,” Lugar said in an interview with the Associated Press.  “They understand something new and important is happening here,” he added (Ken Guggenheim, Associated Press/Atlanta Journal-Constitution, March 7).

The Senate defeated two amendments to the treaty ratification resolution offered by Democrats, according to the Washington Post.  One, rejected 44-50, would have required Senate approval before the United States could withdraw from the treaty.  The second amendment, defeated 45-50, would have required annual intelligence reports on treaty compliance (Helen Dewar, Washington Post, March 7).

Senator Joseph Biden (D-Del.) said he had “many reservations” about the treaty.  Biden also said, however, that “the reason I’m for this treaty is, failure to ratify (it), I believe, would be read as bad faith” (Richter, Los Angeles Times).

Russia today praised the Senate for approving the Moscow Treaty.

“Russia is certain that after the ratification of the Moscow agreement in the (upper-house) Russian Federation Council and after it takes effect, it will become an important strategic factor for stability and global security in 21st century international relations,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a press statement.

Some Russian lawmakers, however, warned that the treaty’s ratification in Moscow could be disrupted if the United States goes to war with Iraq (see GSN, Jan. 16).

There “could be some complications if the United States launches a military operation against Iraq,” said Andrei Nikolayev, head of the lower house of the Russian Parliament’s defense committee (Agence France-Presse, March 7).

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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