[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 24, 2002 and December 19, 2002]
[CITE: 22USC5901]
TITLE 22--FOREIGN RELATIONS AND INTERCOURSE
CHAPTER 68--DEMILITARIZATION OF FORMER SOVIET UNION
SUBCHAPTER I--FINDINGS AND PROGRAM AUTHORITY
Sec. 5901. Demilitarization of independent states of former
Soviet Union
The Congress finds that it is in the national security interest of
the United States--
(1) to facilitate, on a priority basis--
(A) the transportation, storage, safeguarding, and
destruction of nuclear and other weapons of the independent
states of the former Soviet Union, including the safe and secure
storage of fissile materials, dismantlement of missiles and
launchers, and the elimination of chemical and biological
weapons capabilities;
(B) the prevention of proliferation of weapons of mass
destruction and their components and destabilizing conventional
weapons of the independent states of the former Soviet Union,
and the establishment of verifiable safeguards against the
proliferation of such weapons;
(C) the prevention of diversion of weapons-related
scientific expertise of the former Soviet Union to terrorist
groups or third countries; and
(D) other efforts designed to reduce the military threat
from the former Soviet Union;
(2) to support the demilitarization of the massive defense-
related industry and equipment of the independent states of the
former Soviet Union and conversion of such industry and equipment to
civilian purposes and uses; and
(3) to expand military-to-military contacts between the United
States and the independent states of the former Soviet Union.
(Pub. L. 102-484, div. A, title XIV, Sec. 1411, Oct. 23, 1992, 106 Stat.
2563.)
Short Title
Section 1401 of title XIV of div. A of Pub. L. 102-484 provided
that: ``This title [enacting this chapter and amending provisions set
out as a note under section 2551 of this title] may be cited as the
`Former Soviet Union Demilitarization Act of 1992'.''
Policy on Reduction of Russian Nuclear Forces
Pub. L. 106-38, Sec. 3, July 22, 1999, 113 Stat. 205, provided that:
``It is the policy of the United States to seek continued negotiated
reductions in Russian nuclear forces.''
Nuclear Weapons Reduction
Section 1321 of Pub. L. 102-484 provided that:
``(a) Findings.--The Congress makes the following findings:
``(1) On February 1, 1992, the President of the United States
and the President of the Russian Federation agreed in a Joint
Statement that `Russia and the United States do not regard each
other as potential adversaries' and stated further that, `We will
work to remove any remnants of cold war hostility, including taking
steps to reduce our strategic arsenals'.
``(2) In the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons,
in exchange for the non-nuclear-weapon states agreeing not to seek a
nuclear weapons capability nor to assist other non-nuclear-weapon
states in doing so, the United States agreed to seek the complete
elimination of all nuclear weapons worldwide, as declared in the
preamble to the Treaty, which states that it is a goal of the
parties to the Treaty to `facilitate the cessation of the
manufacture of nuclear weapons, the liquidation of all their
existing stockpiles, and the elimination from national arsenals of
nuclear weapons and the means of their delivery' as well as in
Article VI of the Treaty, which states that `each of the parties to
the Treaty undertakes to pursue negotiations in good faith on
effective measures relating to the cessation of the nuclear arms
race at an early date and to nuclear disarmament'.
``(3) Carrying out a policy of seeking further significant and
continuous reductions in the nuclear arsenals of all countries,
besides reducing the likelihood of the proliferation of nuclear
weapons and increasing the likelihood of a successful extension and
possible strengthening of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of
Nuclear Weapons in 1995, when the Treaty is scheduled for review and
possible extension, has additional benefits to the national security
of the United States, including--
``(A) a reduced risk of accidental enablement and launch of
a nuclear weapon, and
``(B) a defense cost savings which could be reallocated for
deficit reduction or other important national needs.
``(4) The Strategic Arms Reduction Talks (START) Treaty and the
agreement by the President of the United States and the President of
the Russian Federation on June 17, 1992, to reduce the strategic
nuclear arsenals of each country to a level between 3,000 and 3,500
weapons are commendable intermediate stages in the process of
achieving the policy goals described in paragraphs (1) and (2).
``(5) The current international era of cooperation provides
greater opportunities for achieving worldwide reduction and control
of nuclear weapons and material than any time since the emergence of
nuclear weapons 50 years ago.
``(6) It is in the security interests of both the United States
and the world community for the President and the Congress to begin
the process of reducing the number of nuclear weapons in every
country through multilateral agreements and other appropriate means.
``(7) In a 1991 study, a committee of the National Academy of
Sciences concluded that: `The appropriate new levels of nuclear
weapons cannot be specified at this time, but it seems reasonable to
the committee that U.S. strategic forces could in time be reduced to
1,000-2,000 nuclear warheads, provided that such a multilateral
agreement included appropriate levels and verification measures for
the other nations that possess nuclear weapons. This step would
require successful implementation of our proposed post-START U.S.-
Soviet reductions, related confidence-building measures in all the
countries involved, and multilateral security cooperation in areas
such as conventional force deployments and planning.'.
``(b) United States Policy.--It shall be the goal of the United
States--
``(1) to encourage and facilitate the denuclearization of
Ukraine, Byelarus, and Kazakhstan, as agreed upon in the Lisbon
ministerial meeting of May 23, 1992;
``(2) to rapidly complete and submit for ratification by the
United States the treaty incorporating the agreement of June 17,
1992, between the United States and the Russian Federation to reduce
the number of strategic nuclear weapons in each country's arsenal to
a level between 3,000 and 3,500;
``(3) to facilitate the ability of the Russian Federation,
Ukraine, Byelarus, and Kazakhstan to implement agreed mutual
reductions under the START Treaty, and under the Joint Understanding
of June 16-17, 1992 between the United States and the Russian
Federation, on an accelerated timetable, so that all such reductions
can be completed by the year 2000;
``(4) to build on the agreement reached in the Joint
Understanding of June 16-17, 1992, by entering into multilateral
negotiations with the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom,
France, and the People's Republic of China, and, at an appropriate
point in that process, enter into negotiations with other nuclear
armed states in
