Retain and Modernize

350 deputies voted for the ratification of the START treaty 96 voted against it and one deputy abstained from voting. It is known that the deputies from the CPRF (Communist Party of Russian Federation) and the LDPR (Liberal Democratic Party of Russia) did not support the ratification. Now the ratification procedure will continue in the Federation Council. [Translator’s Note: The Federation Council ratified the START treaty one day later, on January 26.]

Within the framework of the treaty, the connection of strategic offensive arms and strategic defensive arms is acknowledged to be legally binding. Moreover, while signing it, Russia declared that the denunciation of the treaty by Russia is possible if the U.S. AMD system threatens the national security of Russia.

This treaty was signed in April 2010 in Prague by the presidents of Russia and the U.S. According to the treaty, Moscow and Washington will have seven years to reduce the total number of warheads by one-third — up to 1,550 units — compared to the Moscow Treaty of 2002 [Note: It is also known as SORT, the Strategic Offensive Reductions Treaty], and to halve the maximum for strategic missile launchers.

During the second hearing the deputies made few amendments to the draft law. These amendments expand the terms on which Russia will carry out the obligations imposed by the treaty. However, the amendments do not alter the essence of the treaty, just like the U.S. Senate amendments adopted in December 2010 in its resolution on the treaty.

The Committee on Foreign Affairs of the State Duma promulgated its resolution on the treaty. The document records that the aggregate numbers contained in the START treaty (700 units for deployed intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM), submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBM) and heavy bombers (HB), 1,550 units for warheads on them, 800 units for deployed and non-deployed ICBM and SLBM launchers and deployed and non-deployed HB) enable Russia not only to retain its current grouping of strategic nuclear forces, but to modernize and develop them. That is set forth in the Military Doctrine of Russian Federation, which identifies threats to national security.

According to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the treaty allows both parties to decide independently on the structure of their nuclear forces, including land-based mobile components. The advantage is that the abundant limitations and unnecessary control of mobile ICBMs are cancelled, as well as the continuous presence of the U.S. specialists at Votkinsk arms factory, which produces ICBMs. The development of new armaments is not restricted.

The Committee on Defence of the Duma supposes that START will allow Russia to fulfill the project of development of the “triad” of Russian strategic nuclear forces and to secure the essential level of nuclear deterrence.

It is planned to attach the declaration, “About the position of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of Russian Federation on reduction and limitation of strategic offensive arms,” to the ratification documents of the START treaty. This document is for external use. It states that the State Duma confirms the legal force of the treaty, signed by the presidents of Russia and the U.S., including its preamble. Besides, the lower house of Russian parliament, as the head of the Duma’s Committee on Foreign Affairs Konstantin Kosachev explained, “even in a more detailed way than the ratification documents stresses the connection of the START and AMD and presents the position on new types of arms which the U.S. is planning to develop under the initiative of Prompt Global Strike.” In the declaration, it is also said that the deputies find it necessary to monitor the deployment by the U.S. of the AMD system in Europe, and appeal to remove the U.S. non-strategic nuclear arms from the Euro-Atlantic region.

Today in the State Duma the issues of maintenance of combat readiness and development of Russian nuclear forces, nuclear-arms complex and military-industrial complex were discussed. This document is for internal use. It states that special attention should be given to those types of strategic offensive arms which have the highest fighting stability and the highest potential for surmounting AMD.

Deputies consented that Russia should carry out the obligations imposed by START so that fighting capacities and potential of strategic nuclear forces of the Russian Federation’s nuclear-arms complex and military-industrial complex would be maintained on the level sufficient enough for deterrence of aggression of a state or a group of states. Besides, the State Duma deemed it necessary to urgently elaborate the issue of restoring Russian satellite grouping to such a strength that would secure the permanent monitoring of the areas where the danger of missile offense could come from.