Work with Russia to move nuclear weapons off hair-trigger alert

Deal not done, but U.S. and Russia are negotiating

Updated: Wednesday, December 9th, 2009 | By Robert Farley

On April 1, President Barack Obama traveled to Europe and met with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. The two discussed their intention to negotiate a replacement for the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, which expired Dec. 5, 2009. The two countries agreed on a framework to set limitations on the number and type of nuclear weapons each country has.

In a joint statement, the two sides agreed to move forward with negotiations to seek record levels of reductions in strategic offensive arms.

But the Dec. 5 deadline came and went without a new treaty.

On the eve of the deadline, the two presidents again released a joint statement that stated, "Recognizing our mutual determination to support strategic stability between the United States of America and the Russian Federation, we express our commitment, as a matter of principle, to continue to work together in the spirit of the START Treaty following its expiration, as well as our firm intention to ensure that a new treaty on strategic arms enter into force at the earliest possible date."

In the meantime, several thousand nuclear weapons possessed by the two countries remain on so-called "hair-trigger alert."

Nonetheless, Obama has taken steps to negotiate with Russia on this issue. And both sides say they are committed to working toward a resolution. And so we move this one to In the Works.

Sources: The White House, Joint Statement by Dmitry A. Medvedev , President of the Russian Federation, and Barack Obama, President of the United States of America, Regarding Negotiations on Further Reductions in Strategic Offensive Arms , April 1, 2009

The White House, Remarks by President Obama and Russian President Medvedev after meeting , April 1, 2009

U.S. Department of State, Background readout on President Obama's Meeting With Russian President Medvedev , April 1, 2009 The White House, Joint Statement by the President of the United States of America and the President of the Russian Federation on the Expiration of the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) , Dec. 4, 2009 Radio Free Europe, "U.S. And Russian START Talks Continue As Deadline Looms," by Brian Whitmore, Dec. 4, 2009 New York TImes, "US, Russia miss arms treaty deadline," Dec. 5, 2009