STRATEGIC ARMS REDUCTION TREATY II CHRONOLOGY 1992
June 17, 1992: Bush-Yeltsin Summit
Presidents Bush and Yeltsin agreed on the text of a Joint Understanding on the Elimination of MIRVed ICBMs and Further Reductions in Strategic Offensive Arms. The Joint Understanding called for the sides to promptly conclude a new Treaty, building upon the START Treaty, that would further reduce strategic offensive arms by eliminating all MIRVed ICBMs (including all "heavy" ICBMS), limit the number of SLBM warheads to no more than 1,750, and reduce the overall total of warheads for each side to between 3,000 and 3,500.
June 18, 1992: Baker-Kozyrev Side Letter
Secretary of State Baker and Russian Foreign Minister Kozyrev signed a letter confirming the implementation of the Joint Understanding on the Elimination of MIRVed ICBMs and Further Reductions in Strategic Offensive Arms.
July 1992: U.S. Draft Treaty Text
The United States provided to Russia a U.S. draft treaty text incorporating the agreed elements of, and thus proposing the language for, codification of the Joint Understanding.
August 1992: London Ministerial
Acting Secretary of State Eagleburger and Foreign Minister Kozyrev held talks in London and agreed that high-level consultations would be initiated with the purpose of signing a START follow-on treaty by the end of 1992.
September 1992: New York Ministerial
An additional Ministerial level consultation was held in New York to exchange views on Russian concerns related to the U.S. draft treaty.
October 5-7, 1992: High-Level Delegation Meets in Moscow
A High-Level Delegation led by Under Secretary of State Frank Wisner met with its Russian counterpart in order to obtain a complete account of their concerns.
November 1992: Russian Draft Treaty Text
The Russian position on various issues was further clarified when they provided the United States a draft treaty text incorporating their approach to codification, in Treaty form, of the Joint Understanding of June 17, as well as Russian concerns expressed after June.
December 13-14, 1992: CSCE Meeting in Stockholm
The U.S. response to the Russian concerns and issues reflected in the Russian draft treaty text was presented by Secretary Eagleburger to Foreign Minister Kozyrev, and discussed by high-level experts on each side, on the margins of the CSCE meeting in Stockholm.
December 21-24, 1992, and December 28-31, 1992: Final Meetings in Geneva
Detailed negotiations between the high-level delegations, including participation by Secretary Eagleburger and Foreign Minister Kozyrev, took place in order that outstanding issues could be resolved and closure reached on the text of the Treaty, in preparation for signature by Presidents Bush and Yeltsin in early 1993.
1993
January 3, 1993: Moscow Summit
Presidents Bush and Yeltsin met in Moscow and signed the Treaty Between the United States of America and the Russia Federation on the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Arms (START II). This Treaty calls for the elimination of MIRVed ICBMs and reductions to strategic warhead limits on each side of between 3,000 and 3,500 by the year 2003 (or by 2000, if the U.S. is able to assist Russia in meeting that date).
January 15, 1993
President Bush transmitted, for the advice and consent of the Senate to ratification, the Treaty Between the United States of America and the Russian Federation on Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms (the START III Treaty).
1994
January 14, 1994: Moscow Summit
Presidents Clinton and Yeltsin noted that entry into force of START I will allow them to seek early ratification of START III. The Presidents discussed, in this regard, steps their countries would take to resolve certain nuclear weapon questions.
September 28, 1994: Washington Summit
Presidents Clinton and Yeltsin confirmed their intention to seek early ratification of the START E Treaty, once the START I Treaty enters into force, and expressed their desire to exchange START III instruments of ratification at the next U.S.-Russia summit meeting.
In an important new development, the Presidents agreed that, once the START II Treaty is ratified, the United States and Russia will proceed to deactivate all strategic nuclear delivery systems to be reduced under START II by removing their nuclear warheads or taking other steps to remove them from combat status.
December 5, 1994: Budapest CSCE Summit
President Clinton and the leaders of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia and Ukraine exchanged documents of ratification for the 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START I). This action brought the START I Treaty into force and cleared the way for prompt ratification by the United States and Russia of the 1993 START II Treaty.
1995
January 31, 1995: Washington D.C. - The senate begins formal hearings on START II ratification.
1996
22 June - Russian President Yeltsin submitts START II for ratification by the Russian Duma
1997
26 January - U.S. Senate adopts Treaty Document 103-1, the START II treaty, by a vote of 87-4
1998
20-21 March - President Yeltsin and Clinton agreed to a "Joint Statement on Parameters on Future Reductions in Nuclear Forces." The presidents agreed to a five year extension on the elimination of SNDVs (strategic nuclear delivery vehicles), required by START II and begin discussions on START III once START II is implemented.
26 September - U.S. Secretary of State Albright and Russian Foreign Minister Yevgeny Primakov extend the deadline for the elimination of SNDVs from 1 January 2003 to 31 December 2007 in a protocol signed in New York.
1999
13 April - President Yeltsin submitts the START II extension to the Duma for ratification.
25 December - The Russian Duma postpones an expected vote on START II because of U.S. and British military strikes against Iraq.
2000
2 April - The Russian Duma again postpones a vote on START II, this time in response to the NATO bombing campaign against Yugoslavia.
2001
14 April - Russian Duma ratifies the START II Treaty, its extension protocol, and AMB Treaty-related documents in the Federal Law on Ratification of the Treaty between the Russian Federation and the United States of America on Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms. The START II treaty and its extension protocol were adopted by a vote of 288-131 (4 abstentions) in the State Duma on 14 April 2000 adn teh Federation Council voted 122 for, 15 against, and 7 abstentions on 19 Aprill 2000. The ABM Treaty documents were passed overwhelmingly with 413 in favor, 8 against and 1 abstention, in the Duma. The legislation made the entry into force of START II dependent on the U.S. adoption of the START II protocol and the ABM Treaty-related documents
7 June - In a 51-47 vote, the U.S. Senate adopted and amendment, lead by Senator John Warner (R-VA) to they FY01 defense authorization bill that will allow the United States to cut the strategic arsenal below START I levels. This amendment, in part overturns, a 1998 amendment that would prohibit cuts below START I until START II is entered into force. Another part of the amendment requires a strategic review before the cuts can be initiated.
December - Prohibition against the United States reducing its nuclear arsenal below the accountable levels in START I is removed from the Defense Appropriations Bill. This will allow the United States to go below the approximate 6,000 strategic nuclear devices allowed under START I. This change was lead by Senator Levin and Represenative Allen.