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FEDERALhearing transcript

High Impact

Senate Hearing on U.S.-Russia Arms Control Status

Original title: STATUS OF U.S.-RUSSIA ARMS CONTROL EFFORTS

January 1, 2020

arms control Russia foreign policy national security treaty compliance nuclear weapons

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The Frame

What this does

This hearing informs potential future U.S. policy decisions regarding the continuation, modification, or withdrawal from major international arms control treaties, which directly impacts national security strategy and global military posture.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

U.S. Department of State

Responsible for managing arms control negotiations and treaty compliance reporting.

U.S. Department of Defense

Responsible for assessing the impact of foreign military technology on U.S. strategic stability and defense posture.

European NATO partners

Impacted by regional security dynamics and the potential deployment of intermediate-range missiles.

What changed

Last recorded activity January 1, 2020.

What's next

Next step not available in the current record.

Summary

The Senate Committee on Foreign Relations held a hearing on September 18, 2018, to evaluate the status of arms control agreements between the United States and Russia. Senators and administration officials discussed concerns regarding Russian compliance with existing treaties and the impact of new military technologies on strategic stability.

Key Facts

The hearing was the fourth in a series of Senate hearings on Russia held since July 2018.
The committee identified significant concerns regarding Russian compliance with three of four major treaties: the INF Treaty, the Open Skies Treaty, and the Chemical Weapons Convention.
The New START treaty is scheduled to expire in 2021 unless extended.
The U.S. did not conduct any Open Skies Treaty flights in 2018 due to an impasse with Russia.
The committee discussed Russian development of new military technologies, including hypersonic glide vehicles, nuclear-powered ballistic missiles, and nuclear torpedoes.
The hearing included testimony from the Department of State and the Department of Defense.
Written responses to questions from Senators Rubio, Menendez, Markey, Merkley, and Booker were submitted for the record by witnesses.

Why It Matters

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the status of the New START treaty?

The treaty is currently in effect, but the committee noted that expectations for its future should be realistic as it is set to expire in 2021 unless extended.

Why is the Open Skies Treaty mentioned as an issue?

The U.S. and Russia are at an impasse, and no surveillance flights were conducted under the treaty during 2018.

News Coverage

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Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift90% confidence

Shift in Arms Control Viability

The hearing marks a period where the U.S. government began publicly questioning the viability of multiple long-standing arms control treaties due to alleged Russian non-compliance.

INF Treaty Open Skies Treaty New START

Connected Entities

otherOpen Skies Treaty“Arms control treaty regarding aerial surveillance”Map →

personVladimir Putin“President of Russia”Map →

personDavid J. Trachtenberg“Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, U.S. Department of Defense”Map →

otherChemical Weapons Convention“International treaty banning chemical weapons”Map →

otherNew START“Arms control treaty expiring in 2021”Map →

personBob Corker“Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations”Map →

otherINF Treaty“Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty”Map →

personAndrea L. Thompson“Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security, U.S. Department of ”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.govinfo.gov

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance85
How much this matters to a regular citizen
Controversy60
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment20
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz30
Current news / social attention level

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