January 19, 2015

Report: Russia Cancelling Nuclear Security Cooperation With U.S.

By ExchangeMonitor

Russia informed the United States in December that it was cancelling all nuclear security cooperation programs with the U.S., according to aBoston Globe article published yesterday. The decision, sparked by increased tensions between the two countries over Russia’s actions in Ukraine, ends a two-decade relationship that has seen the U.S. spend billions of dollars to strengthen security at Russian nuclear sites, dismantle Russian weapons, and train Russian officials. The NNSA did not respond to a request for comment.

Pentagon nuclear security work in Russia under the Cooperative Threat Reduction program had already been cut off prior to the recent news, but the decision affects National Nuclear Security Administration work in the country, and will mean that security upgrades at seven closed nuclear cities will be cancelled, the Globe reported. Work on 18 civilian facilities that hold nuclear material also was halted Jan. 1, as was a project to downblend highly enriched uranium at two separate facilities.

Russia has said it intends to complete the nuclear security work on its own, Dave Huizenga, the number two official in the NNSA’s nonproliferation program, told the Globe, but experts worry about Moscow’s ability to follow through. “The Russians say they are going to put a lot more of their resources into this,” former Sen. Sam Nunn, the co-chairman of the Nuclear Threat Initiative, told the Globe. “That would be good news if they do, but with their economic challenges now and with the huge distrust built because of Ukraine and the deterioration of the ruble, the proof will be in the pudding.”

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