ROGERS STATEMENT ON RUSSIA SUSPENDING PARTICIPATION IN NEW START

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Representative Mike Rogers (R-AL), Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, released a statement following Vladimir Putin’s decision to suspend Russia’s participation in New START.
 
“Vladimir Putin’s decision to suspend participation in the New START Treaty should come as no surprise; over the last 10 years, he has systematically dismantled nuclear arms treaties with the United States and pursued an arms race. Whether Russia has already broken the treaty’s warhead limitations is not clear, but hoping Russia returns to the fold is not wise, nor is it a strategy. The Biden administration should declare Russia to be in ‘material breach’ of the New START Treaty and direct the Joint Staff and U.S. Strategic Command to accelerate planning in the event Russia breaches New START caps. All options must be on the table including deploying additional nuclear forces and increasing the readiness of our nuclear triad. We must also accelerate efforts to modernize our nuclear systems, and I again call on the President to abandon his plans to weaken our deterrent such as canceling the Nuclear Sea Launched Cruise Missile.”