Under Secretary Ellen Tauscher for Arms Control and International Security said NATO allies are seeking to create conditions for future nuclear reductions.
In her statement on the “The State Department’s Role in NATO Deterrence and Defense Posture Review (DDPR) and Future Arms Control”, Ms. Tauscher said as outlined two years ago by President Obama in Prague, the Administration is committed to continuing a step-by-step process to increase U.S. security by reducing nuclear weapons worldwide.
“That effort includes the pursuit of a future agreement with Russia for reductions in all categories of nuclear weapons: strategic, non-strategic, deployed, and non-deployed.” -Ms. Tauscher
She highlighted that President Obama is committed to seeking to initiate negotiations to address the disparity between the non-strategic nuclear stockpiles of Russia and the United States, and to secure and reduce non-strategic nuclear weapons in a verifiable manner.
“The key principles that Secretary Clinton outlined at the 2010 NATO Foreign Ministerial meeting in Tallinn will guide our approach.” -Ms. Tauscher
She said the United States aims to show strong Allied support for the President’s Prague vision and underscore our common view, as the Alliance agreed at the November 2010 Lisbon Summit, that NATO will remain a nuclear alliance as long as nuclear weapons exist.
“At Lisbon, the Alliance reaffirmed that the strategic nuclear forces of NATO’s nuclear-armed member states are the “supreme guarantee of the security of the Allies,” and agreed that NATO should maintain the broadest possible level of burden sharing on nuclear matters.” -Ms. Tauscher
She emphasized that NATO Allies further agreed to seek to create the conditions for future nuclear reductions, and noted that the Alliance should seek Russia’s agreement to increase the transparency of its nuclear weapons in Europe and to relocate those weapons away from the territories of NATO members.
“We are committed to consulting closely with Allies and making decisions by consensus on NATO’s nuclear deterrent.” -Ms. Tauscher
She cited that the DDPR is examining NATO’s overall posture in deterring and defending against the full range of threats to the Alliance.
“The review is to identify the “appropriate mix” of conventional, nuclear, and missile defense capabilities that NATO needs to respond effectively to 21st century security challenges. The review also aims to strengthen deterrence as part of our commitment to allied security.” -Ms. Tauscher
