New START negotiators Rose Gottemoeller, then-Assistant Secretary of State for Verification, Compliance and Implementation and Ambassador Anatoly Antonov of the Russian Federation made a joint presentation on the New START Treaty to international arms control diplomats at a June 3, 2010 plenary of the Conference on Disarmament. (Government photo)
By Pranay Vaddi, January 12, 2021
President-elect Joe Biden will take office with a series of pending arms control policy decisions to make. Washington and Moscow have so far been unable to secure an agreement on the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START), which expires on February 5, 2021 unless it is extended by mutual agreement, and the new administration will need to make a decision regarding New START extension as soon as possible after Inauguration Day.
Additionally, the United States is engaged in growing political and military competitions with Russia and China. It faces increasing risks of conflict with each country, a heightened risk of a crisis escalating to nuclear use, and a greater likelihood for a three-way build up in expensive nuclear arms. The Biden administration will need to decide how to stabilize the deterrence relationships with Russia and China, including through new dialogue mechanisms and arms control policy.
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Keywords: China, New START, Russia, arms control, strategic stability
Topics: Nuclear Weapons