Russian Nuclear Forces and Prospects for Arms Control

This testimony was presented before the House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs, Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade on June 21, 2018. It provides an overview of bilateral arms control efforts during and after the Cold War. Surveying evolving trends and behaviors, Long contends that the future of US-Russian arms control is bleak. He enumerates the pros and cons for letting New START expire. Though participating in arms control agreements “can provide transparency and communication mechanisms that can help prevent nuclear crisis,” he notes that extending New START would normalize Russia’s current violation of the INF treaty. 

This testimony was published by RAND. Read or watch the full testimony here.