Legislation introduced yesterday by Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) and 20 other Senate Republicans designed to respond to Russia’s actions in Ukraine would terminate U.S. cooperation with parts of the New START Treaty and prohibit arms control negotiations with Moscow. In a statement, Corker said the “Russian Aggression Prevention Act of 2014” would go beyond sanctions already levied to “inflict more direct consequences on Russia prior to Vladimir Putin taking additional steps that will be very difficult to undo.” The wide-ranging bill strengthens NATO, supports non-NATO allies like Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia, and imposes more sanctions.
In particular, the bill would prohibit the U.S. from further talks with Russia on follow-on reductions to the New START Treaty until Moscow is in full compliance with all existing nuclear treaties, including the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. It would also prevent the U.S. from reducing deployed or non-deployed nuclear launchers under the New START Treaty “while the armed forces of the Russian Federation remain prepositioned to strike Ukraine or are threatening the territorial integrity or sovereignty of Ukraine or another European or Eurasian state.”
Jobs