[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 39, Number 10 (Monday, March 10, 2003)]
[Pages 307-308]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Statement on Senate Ratification of the Moscow Treaty on Strategic 
Offensive Reductions

March 7, 2003

    I commend the Senate's action to give its consent to ratification of 
the Moscow Treaty on Strategic Offensive Reductions that President Putin 
and I signed on May 24, 2002, in Moscow, Russia. I also thank Senator 
Lugar and Senator Biden for their leadership in successfully negotiating 
a unanimous, bipartisan vote in support of the Moscow Treaty.
    This historic agreement will reduce the nuclear arsenals of the 
United States and Russia to their lowest levels in decades. The treaty 
will benefit both our peoples and contribute to a more secure world.
    The Moscow Treaty helps lay to rest the legacies of cold war 
competition and suspicion and marks a fundamentally new era in relations 
between the United States and Russia. The strategic offensive reductions 
codified and made binding under international law in this Treaty are 
essential steps toward achieving greater political, economic, and 
security cooperation between our two countries.
    Shortly after assuming office, I pledged to the American people my 
commitment to achieve a credible strategic deterrent with the lowest-
possible number of nuclear weapons consistent with our national security 
needs, including our obligations to our allies. Under the Moscow Treaty, 
the United States and Russia will both reduce their operationally 
deployed strategic nuclear warheads to a level of 1700-2200 by December 
31, 2012--nearly two-thirds below current levels. At my direction, the 
United States has

[[Page 308]]

already embarked upon its reductions by starting to deactivate the 
Peacekeeper missiles located at Francis E. Warren Air Force Base in 
Wyoming, and by taking the first steps to remove four sea-launched 
ballistic missile submarines from strategic service.
    I am hopeful that the Russian Duma and Federation Council will soon 
give their approval to ratification, so that President Putin and I can 
exchange instruments of ratification and the Moscow Treaty can enter 
into force.