RAND Experts Available to Discuss New START Treaty

The Senate voted on Wednesday to begin consideration of the New START strategic nuclear arms treaty between the United States and Russia. RAND experts are available for interviews on the treaty and how its ratification—or non-ratification—will affect U.S. relations with Russia and Europe. Among the topics they can address:

• Which issues could pose the most challenges for New Start advocates and opponents?

• Does the prospective agreement reflect a new commitment by both nations to continue disarmament and non-proliferation efforts and "restart" the U.S.-Russia relationship?

• Could the treaty influence U.S. plans to develop a missile defense system to defend itself against limited nuclear attack from regional nuclear powers?

• How might this change America’s nuclear arsenal? And what would Russia be giving up? Will the treaty compromise U.S. national security?

• Will New Start re-establish the monitoring and verification of U.S.-Russian nuclear forces and provide a framework for strategic stability between the two countries? Is the United States giving too much away?

• If it is not ratified, could it affect Russian cooperation on issues such as Iran’s nuclear program, Afghanistan and other regional security issues? And will it change the U.S. relationship with NATO countries?

Amb. Robert Hunter is a senior advisor at RAND who specializes in NATO, Russia and military strategy. He served as U.S. Ambassador to NATO under President Clinton.

Roger Molander is a RAND social scientist focusing on nuclear warfare and nuclear terrorism. He is a former member of the White House National Security Council staff (1974–1981), working on strategic nuclear arms control and other nuclear weapons issues.

Olga Oliker is a senior international policy analyst at RAND who specializes in political and security issues affecting Russia, Central Asia, Ukraine and the Caucasus. She has followed arms control negotiations between the United States and Russia and both countries' nuclear weapon policies for the past two decades.

Lowell Schwartz is a RAND political scientist focusing on Cold War history, national security and defense strategy, nuclear weapons issues, and nuclear proliferation. He is the co-author of "Russian Foreign Policy: Sources and Implications."