Washington D.C. (Link) – House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Adam Smith and Strategic Force Subcommittee Ranking Member Cooper commended the President for holding Russia accountable for violating its commitments under the Intermediate Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty. The Administration released its annual compliance report, which found Russia in non-compliance with its obligation under the INF Treaty.
“In conjunction with Russia’s current behavior in Ukraine, the violation of the Intermediate Nuclear Forces Treaty demonstrates a pattern of disregard for international laws and treaties,” said Ranking Member Adam Smith. “Compliance matters for strategic stability and U.S. national security and Russia should take immediate steps to come back into compliance with the INF. The Administration's finding that Russia is violating the INF Treaty obligations demonstrates President Obama's resolve to hold Putin accountable for Russia's legally-binding nuclear arms control commitments.”
Ranking Member Cooper added, “We must take action to hold Russia accountable and bring Russia back into compliance with the treaty. This finding also highlights the importance of effective verification measures to ensure that cheating can be detected in a timely manner."
The House Armed Services Committee and its Strategic Forces Subcommittee have held regular oversight hearings and briefings addressing concerns about Russian compliance with the treaty and options for bringing Russia back into compliance, most recently on July 17, 2014 (link).
Additionally, Frank Rose’s nomination to the position of Assistant Secretary of State for Verification and Compliance, which supervises verification and compliance with international arms control, nonproliferation, and disarmament agreements, has been pending in the Senate for over a year. Last week, Democratic members of the House Armed Services Committee sent a letter to the Senate urging a vote to confirm Frank Rose. The members expressed the concern that “The gap in the position of Assistant Secretary has undermined the President's ability to implement and safeguard national security,” including most effectively addressing compliance issues (link).