2002 Russia Nuclear and Missile
Proliferation News
- 26 March 2002: Russian Defense Minister says Moscow may compromise on weapons storage.
- 15 March 2002: A top Russian military official said Moscow will consider retaining its arsenal of multiple, independently targeted re-entry vehicles (MIRVs) if strategic arms reduction talks with the U.S. fail.
- 26 February 2002: A new U.S. intelligence report says security at Russian nuclear facilities is improving, but it also warns that Russian nuclear
authorities may not be adapting to meet newer security threats.
- 19 February 2002: Russian-American Talks on Strategic Relationship and SOW Reduction - The second round of Russian-American talks on the issues of START/ABM and the formation of a new framework for strategic relations between the two countries took place on February 19. The Russian interagency delegation was headed by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Georgy Mamedov; the American was led by US Under Secretary of State John R. Bolton. Mr. Bolton was received by Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Igor Ivanov.
- 18 February 2002: Russia: Nuclear Security System Comes Under Question - Sergei Mitrokhin, a lawmaker from the
liberal Yabloko party, last week warned that Russia's nuclear waste facilities
lack proper security and could be an easy target for nuclear terrorists.
- 11 February 2002: Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Igor Ivanov Speaks to US Secretary of State Colin Powell by Telephone - They considered questions relating to the preparations for the official visit of the US President to Russia, scheduled for the
first half of 2002. In this connection both sides stressed the importance of working out by the upcoming Russian-US summit
a legally binding agreement on a radical reduction of the two countries' strategic offensive arms.
- 8 February 2002: Czech Reactor Shuts Down - A technical
problem triggered the automatic shutdown of a reactor at the
Czech nuclear power plant at Temelin Thursday.
- 8 February 2002: Military Divided On Formal Weapons-Reductions Treaty With US - n Russia, a number of military officials are welcoming the U.S. government's
newfound readiness -- signaled in remarks by Secretary of State Colin Powell on
5 February -- to work out a legally binding document on reducing weapons
stockpiles. But others say it is still early to speak about a real accord being
struck between Russia and the U.S.
- 7 February 2002: Regarding the Publication in the USA of a CIA Report on the Issues of Nonproliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction - A non-classified version of the CIA's report to Congress on the issues of the nonproliferation of weapons
of mass destruction (WMD) was published in the United States a few days ago.
It is not for the first time that the US intelligence agency addresses this theme, but the "revelations"
about Russia contained in this report cause not only extreme bewilderment but also serious concern.
- 5 February 2002: Powell Says US Willing to Sign A Binding Arms Pact with Russia - State Colin Powell says the United States is willing to commit
itself to a new, legally-binding arms control agreement with
Russia that would reduce their nuclear arsenals by as much as
75 percent.
- 1 February 2002: CIA reports to congress on the acquisition of Weapons of Mass Destruction around the world.
- 31 January 2002: Putin: New Arms Control Agreements Should be Legally Binding - Mr. Ivanov told reporters Russia wants a verifiable and
transparent strategic offensive arms reduction. The Bush
administration has said it prefers an informal agreement.
- 30 January 2002: Russia Accuses US of Impeding Disarmament - Russia's foreign
ministry has accused the United States of impeding progress on
disarmament, saying Washington should not limit its
international diplomatic efforts to combating terrorism.
- 29 January 2002: In Connection with the Speech of US Under Secretary of State John R. Bolton - Moscow has taken note of the speech of US Under Secretary of State John R. Bolton, which he made at the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva setting forth the main elements of the policy of the administration of George W. Bush in the area of international security and disarmament.
Russia shares the understanding of the need for the maximum concentration of the international community's efforts on the fight against international terrorism and on counteraction against new threats and challenges. Likewise one cannot but agree with the US proposals for the building-up of efforts to strengthen the internationally recognized nonproliferation standards and regimes, and to prevent the slightest possibility of weapons of mass destruction being turned into an instrument of blackmail and terror.
- 23 January 2002: Burma: Nuclear Research Project with Russia - text of a question taken at the January 23 regular
State Department briefing on a nuclear research project Burma is
undertaking with Russian assistance.
- 21 January 2002: Burma Announces Plan to Build Nuclear Reactor - Burma's military government
has announced plans to build a nuclear reactor with assistance
from Russia.
- 15 January 2002: Defense officials from the US and Russia will meet to talk about the US plan to store nuclear warheads rather than destroy them. The two days of talks will also concern a strategic offensive arms agreement between the two nations.(Moscow Times)
- 12 January 2002: Russian Colonel General Yurii Baluevskii
says Russia expects a legally binding, formal accord with the United States
about deeper nuclear weapons cuts. Baluevskii said today the agreement should be reached by May or June. He is
leading a delegation headed to Washington next week to work out the details of
the cuts.
- 11 January 2002: Russian Foreign Ministry issues a statement criticizing U.S. decision to store decommissioned nuclear warheads rather than dismantling them or destroying them. The spokesman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, Aleksandr Yakovenko, stated "We hodl that Russian-American agreements on further reductions of nuclear arsenals must be, first, radical down to 1,500-2,200 warheads; second, verifiable; and third, irreversible so that strategic defensive arms will be reduced not only 'on paper.'"
- 10 January 2002: A statement issued by Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander
Yakovenko in Moscow Thursday says Russia believes
Russian-American agreements on further cuts in nuclear
arsenals must be radical, verifiable and irreversible. Mr.
Yakovenko adds "that means strategic nuclear weapons must be
cut not only on paper."
- 9 January 2002: Russia: Nuclear Arms Cuts Must Be 'Irreversible' - Russia said today that reductions of nuclear weapons agreed with the United States must be "irreversible," responding to Pentagon comments that some U.S. warheads will not be destroyed but merely put in storage.
http://www.fas.org/news/russia/2002/
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