Global Security Newswire

Russian strategic missile forces sites have received U.S. expert delegations on 12 occasions this year under a nuclear arms control treaty that took effect in February, the military organization's commander said on Friday (see GSN, Dec. 16).

“Under the [New START] treaty, Russia is entitled to 18 inspections on U.S. territory a year and use all national technical control systems at its disposal. The U.S. has the same rights,” RIA Novosti quoted Lt. Gen. Sergei Karakayev as saying.

“Since the [New START] treaty entered into force (Feb. 5, 2011) U.S. inspection teams have conducted 12 inspections at SMF installations,” Karakayev said.

The official did not specify the number of Russian audits carried out in the United States.

The New START pact requires each government to each reduce deployment of strategic nuclear warheads to 1,550, down from a cap of 2,200 mandated by next year under an older treaty. It also limits the number of fielded strategic warhead delivery platforms to 700, with an additional 100 systems permitted in reserve. The treaty calls for the nations to regularly share quantities, siting and schematics of armament equipment and sites (RIA Novosti, Dec. 16).

Moscow warned again it could end its partcipation in the pact if Washington does not alter its stance on plans for a European antimissile framework, Russia Today reported on Monday.

The Obama administration and NATO have sought for more than a year to draw Russia into their plans for a developing European missile shield. The sides remain at odds over several issues, including Moscow's demand for a legally binding pledge that the system would not target Russian nuclear weapons.

The United States appears to be fielding armed forces sites around Russia "like an anaconda," said Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, Moscow's top delegate to a U.S.-Russian arms control working group that concluded a meeting last week. Russia has long expressed concern over the security risks established by U.S. steps to field missile defense elements in Europe and elsewhere, the official told Russia Today.

Ryabkov said additional strategic nuclear-weapon reductions by his nation would be impossible “in the absence of a meaningful arrangement in the area of missile defense.”

“It would be very irresponsible to believe that we just move forward in cuts in numbers of strategic weapons while advantages and even predominance of the U.S. and NATO parties as a whole in other areas just grow,” Ryabkov said. “It will overstretch the very concept of strategic stability.”

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev recently warned that his government's continued participation in New START could be dependent on a satisfactory resolution to the missile defense impasse.

While Russia could weigh rescinding its New START pledges if the sides fail to reach an agreement, the nation "is not rushing into any dramatic decisions," Ryabkov said. The possibility for a deal remains, but "we are not seeing any changes in the American position" to date, he said.

"Iran's missile capabilities are hugely exaggerated by the U.S.," Ryabkov said. The United States has framed the planned European missile shield as a hedge against an emerging Iranian missile threat (Russia Today, Dec. 19).

Meanwhile, the U.S. Senate on Saturday endorsed the White House's pick for a new ambassador to Russia, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported (see GSN, Dec. 2). Senator Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) last week lifted a hold on the nomination of Michael McFaul that was put in place over worries the White House intended to provide Moscow with sensitive missile interceptor data, according to a previous report (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Dec. 19).

The move by U.S. lawmakers to require 60 days notice of any U.S. missile-defense disclosures to Russia -- among other restrictions -- significantly constrains Washington's ability to compromise on the dispute, Russian Ambassador to NATO Dmitry Rogozin said on Friday.

"The decision made by the U.S. Congress in effect reduces to naught the previous proposals, in particular, the invitation to Russia to participate in the tests of the U.S. missile defense systems in the ocean in spring 2012, and makes it impossible for Russia to obtain proof that the NATO missile defense systems in Europe will not be targeted against the Russian strategic nuclear potential," Interfax quoted Rogozin as saying.

Under such restrictions, Moscow would not receive evidence that U.S. antimissile technology and coordination technology is unsuited for rendering Russian ICBMs ineffective.

"In this connection, I believe that the measures announced by the Russian president in his statement on missile defense on Nov. 25 will have to be realized in full," he said (see GSN, Nov. 28; Interfax, Dec. 16).