[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1996, Book I)]
[June 1, 1996]
[Pages 849-850]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Statement on Arms Reduction Agreements With Russia and Ukraine
June 1, 1996

    Ukrainian President Kuchma has announced that all nuclear warheads 
have been removed from the territory of Ukraine. This is a remarkable 
achievement. In 1991, there were more than 4,000 strategic and tactical 
nuclear warheads in Ukraine. Today there are none. I applaud the 
Ukrainian Government for its historic contribution in reducing the 
nuclear threat. When the Presidents of Ukraine, Russia, and I signed the 
January 1994 Trilateral Statement on this issue, we looked forward to a 
day that has now arrived.
    The trust and cooperation the United States and Ukraine have 
established in resolving this issue are a cornerstone of a broad and 
productive relationship. Ukraine has embarked on a bold course of 
political and economic reform, laying the foundations for democracy and 
a market economy. We remain committed to supporting Ukraine through its 
ambitious and far-sighted reforms and to working with Ukraine and our 
European partners to promote Ukraine's integration into the European 
community.
    I also want to note the fact that both the United States and Russia 
are ahead of the reduction schedule provided for in the START I Treaty. 
To date, the United States has eliminated 750 strategic nuclear delivery 
vehicles, and about 800 strategic nuclear delivery vehicles in the 
former Soviet Union have been eliminated, including more than 700 in 
Russia. The Cooperative Threat Reduction (Nunn-Lugar) program has played 
a major role in the elimination of these weapons in the former Soviet 
Union and in the denuclearization of Ukraine.
    I have asked Secretary Perry to meet next week with his Ukrainian 
and Russian counterparts, Ministers Shmarov and Grachev, and mark the 
successful implementation of the Trilateral Statement by visiting a 
destroyed ICBM silo and a former nuclear weapons storage facility in 
Ukraine. In doing so, they will celebrate another important step in 
making the world safer for us all.
    On this day of important milestones, I also welcome the agreement 
that was reached today in Vienna by the 30 nations party to the 
Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE) Treaty. This agreement resolves a 
difficult problem that had arisen concerning the level of Russian and 
Ukrainian military equipment allowed on the northern and southern flank 
of the CFE region.
    This agreement is the culmination of 2 years of negotiations led by 
the United States. I congratulate all parties, including our NATO 
allies, Russia, Ukraine, and the states of the Caucasus and Central and 
Eastern Europe, for their hard work, cooperation, and dedication to 
preserving the integrity and effectiveness of this crucial treaty.
    The CFE Treaty is a key element of a new, more stable Europe. The 
treaty has resulted in

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the destruction of over 50,000 tanks, armored combat vehicles, artillery 
pieces, combat aircraft, and attack helicopters. It has also established 
a system of transparency measures which will increase confidence through 
on-site inspections, notifications, and information exchanges.