For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
March 7, 2003
President Bush Commends Senate for Action on Moscow Treaty
Statement by the President
I Commend the Senate's Action to Give Its Consent to Ratification of
the Moscow Treaty on Strategic Offensive Reductions that President
Putin and I signed on May 24, 2002, in Moscow, Russia. I also thank
Senator Lugar and Senator Biden for their leadership in successfully
negotiating a unanimous, bipartisan vote in support of the Moscow
Treaty.
This historic agreement will reduce the nuclear arsenals of the
United States and Russia to their lowest levels in decades. The treaty
will benefit both our peoples and contribute to a more secure world.
The Moscow Treaty helps lay to rest the legacies of Cold War
competition and suspicion, and marks a fundamentally new era in
relations between the United States and Russia. The strategic
offensive reductions codified and made binding under international law
in this Treaty are essential steps toward achieving greater political,
economic, and security cooperation between our two countries.
Shortly after assuming office, I pledged to the American people my
commitment to achieve a credible strategic deterrent with the
lowest-possible number of nuclear weapons consistent with our national
security needs, including our obligations to our allies. Under the
Moscow Treaty, the United States and Russia will both reduce their
operationally deployed strategic nuclear warheads to a level of
1700-2200 by December 31, 2012 -- nearly two-thirds below current
levels. At my direction, the United States has already embarked upon
its reductions by starting to deactivate the Peacekeeper missiles
located at Francis E. Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming; and, by taking
the first steps to remove four sea-launched ballistic missile
submarines from strategic service.
I am hopeful that the Russian Duma and Federation Council will soon
give their approval to ratification, so that President Putin and I can
exchange instruments of ratification and the Moscow Treaty can enter
into force.
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