Council on Foreign Relations

Of critical importance to reducing current nuclear risks and laying the groundwork for a world free of all nuclear weapons is the negotiation of substantial U.S.-Russian cuts.  The landmark START treaty expires in late 2009, and both countries are working hard to produce a follow-on treaty that would limit their arsenals to roughly 1,600 each.  Charles Ferguson of the Council on Foreign Relations is already looking beyond that. With a Ploughshares grant he will convene key U.S. and Russian experts to identify issues and craft proposals for the next round of U.S.-Russian arms control talks; talks that aim to get each arsenal under 1,000 weapons each.