By Congressman Tom Cole
Our nation has been fortunate in the past to have strong leaders who have recognized the threat posed by an aggressive Russia. Virtually every president since Harry Truman has known that maintaining a strong national defense and a healthy skepticism of the former Soviet Union was our highest national security priority. But since this Administration has taken office, Russia has taken full advantage of the weak foreign policy of President Obama. While President Obama lauded the “reset” of our relations with Russia in 2009, it has become painfully clear that this policy has not only been a resounding failure, but that Russia has taken advantage of the Obama Administration’s naïveté.
In 2009, the United States and Russia came to a ten-year agreement, negotiated by Secretary of State Clinton, which reduced nuclear arms and weaponry. The New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) was intended to replace an arms-control treaty that expired at the end of 2009. The new treaty went into effect in early 2011 and is due to be fully implemented in 2018 and remain in place for ten years.
The agreement essentially requires both nations to limit their deployed nuclear arms. Specifically, each country is limited to 1,550 strategic deployed warheads, and 700 deployed heavy bombers and missiles. Although at the time the treaty was heralded as an improvement between our relations with Russia, many Members of Congress questioned the significant flaws the Treaty contained, specifically with regards to verification protocols, a lack of limits on tactical nuclear weapons, and rail-mobile intercontinental ballistic missiles.
The United States has complied with the provisions of the treaty, by reducing its deployed weapons. However, Russia has continued to increase their number of deployed warheads since the treaty was agreed upon. In addition to this, Russia has been taking advantage of the treaty by utilizing its ability to modernize its weapons stockpile. It’s taking old stockpiled weapons that are considered under the provisions of the treaty and swapping in new ones that are much more dangerous.
Unfortunately for the United States, the concerns raised before ratification of New START are playing out. Just a week ago, Vladimir Putin declared that Russia will continue with its nuclear arms program. While the United States has abided by the agreement, Russia has been building its deployed weapons supply. According to the State Department, Russia has been exceeding the number of allowed nuclear warheads stated in the treaty and now has hundreds more than the United States. Without leaders who will confront these aggressive actions, in violation of the New START Treaty, it is difficult to see how the United States will confront Russian aggression across the globe.
For the first time since Jimmy Carter was President, the outgoing administration is leaving his successor in a weaker position regarding Russia than the one he inherited. The next administration will need to demonstrate assertive leadership with Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin. A heavily armed, aggressive and unchecked Russia is not just a threat to America and our allies, it’s a threat to world peace.
