Defense Experts Outline Next Steps for U.S.-Russian Nuclear Security

The Sustainable Partnership with Russia Group, or SuPR Group, today launched a report with recommendations for the U.S. and Russia to continue working toward reductions in their nuclear stockpiles and to tackle top security challenges, including nuclear proliferation. 

"American national security interests are best served by shedding the unnecessary weapons and concepts of the Cold War,” said Joe Cirincione, President of Ploughshares Fund, a participant and supporter of the Group. 

The SuPR Group, a joint initiative of the Ploughshares Fund and the Center for Policy Studies in Russia (PIR Center) is comprised of leading American and Russian defense and security experts.

In the report, the SuPR Group warns that failure to build on the success of New START could lead to a "cold pause" in U.S.-Russian relations, undermining the national security interests of both countries.

To avoid such a "cold pause," SuPR Group members identified immediate next steps that the U.S. and Russia could take, including:

  • Accelerate reductions mandated by New START to ensure completion prior to the next NPT Review Conference
  • Establish greater transparency with regard to U.S. and Russian nuclear weapons, including disclosures of the number of weapons dismantled each year
  • Take measures to “de-alert” nuclear weapons
  • Make progress on NATO-Russia missile defense cooperation and the Conventional Forces in Europe regime
  • Re-energize and elevate bilateral consultations on the Iranian nuclear and missile programs, working toward a common understanding of the risks and a list of options
  • Take an active role in facilitating the success of the 2012 Conference on establishing a WMD-free zone in the Middle East
  • Widen participation of Middle Eastern states in international nonproliferation discussion fora such as the Nuclear Security Summit

Read the SuPR Group's Report on Building on the Success of New START

 

About the SuPR Group

On April 9, 2010, the day after President Obama and his Russian counter-part Dmitri Medvedev, signed the New START treaty, Ploughshares Fund and the PIR Center, a leading Russian NGO in international security, founded the Sustainable Partnership with Russia (SuPR) Group.  Comprised of leading experts on U.S.-Russia relations, the purpose of the SuPR Group is to support current and future pathways of collaboration between both countries for nonproliferation and disarmament.

Members of the SuPR Group met for the first time in Moscow in June 2010 to discuss this common vision for U.S. and Russian security.  More than one hundred guests attended the event which was held at the National Hotel including experts, government officials and journalists.    

SuPR Group members most recently met in Gstaad, Switzerland in February 2011.  The third SuPR Group meeting will take place in Washington, DC in December 2011.

Members

  • Anatoly I. Antonov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Deputy Defense Minister responsible for international military cooperation
  • Evgeny P. Buzhinsky, Lieutenant-general, head of the International Treaty Directorate of the main Department of International Military Cooperation of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation (2002-2009)
  • Joseph Cirincione, President, Ploughshares Fund
  • Michael Elleman, Senior Fellow for Missile Defense at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS)
  • Leonid E. Gankin, head of Foreign Affairs Section, Kommersant Daily
  • David Hoffman, Foreign Editor, The Washington Post (2001-2009)
  • David Holloway, Board of Directors, Ploughshares Fund
  • Vladimir A. Orlov, President of PIR Center, Editor-in-Chief of Security Index Journal
  • Steven Pifer, Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution
  • Nikolay N. Spassky, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Deputy Director Generay, State Atomic Energy Corporation “Rosatom”
  • Sharon Squassoni, Director and Senior Fellow of the Proliferation Prevention Program, Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)
  • Igor A. Zevelev, Director, Moscow Office, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation

Observers of the February Meeting

  • Richard Burt, Ambassador, U.S. Chair of Global Zero
  • Yuri E. Fedorov, Professor, Member, PIR Center Executive Board
  • Mikhail N. Lysenko, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Director of International Cooperation Department, The State Atomic Energy Corporation “Rosatom”
  • Georges Martin, Ambassador, Head of the Political Affairs Secretariat, Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs
  • Jean-Daniel Praz, Deputy Head, Arms Control and Disarmament Section, Political Affairs Secretariat, Directorate of Political Affiars, Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs
  • Evgeny Y. Satanovskiy, President, Institute of Middle East Studies
  • Victor L. Vasiliev, Deputy Permanent Representative, Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the United Nations Office and other International organizations in Geneva