Russia

Great headway has been made since the end of the Cold War in shrinking the Russian and US nuclear arsenals. But between them, the United States and Russia still have more than 14,000 nuclear weapons — over 93% of the world's stockpile. More than three thousand of them remain on high alert, meaning they can be launched in a matter of minutes.

Reducing these nuclear stockpiles help increase global stability, build the international non-proliferation regime and reduce the chances that nuclear materials will fall into the hands of terrorists. Instead, Russia and the United States are now on the brink of a new arms race to rebuild their nuclear arsenals.

Latest News and Analysis on Russia and Nuclear Weapons

  • Obama, Medvedev agree to talks to curb nuclear arsenals

    In their first face-to-face meeting, President Obama and Russian President Medvedev agreed to open negotiations on a treaty that could slash nuclear arsenals by a third, part of what they described as a new era in relations.

    April 2, 2009 - By Sarah Brown

  • U.S. and Russia take first steps towards reducing nuclear arsenals

    April 2, 2009 - By Sarah Brown

  • Queen Noor Promotes Global Zero

    Queen Noor of Jordan took to the airwaves today to promote Global Zero, the international campaign to eliminate all nuclear weapons by a date certain.  On MSNBC's  Rachel Maddow Show she applauded Presidents Obama and Medvedev for their joint statement from London earlier in the day pledging to work together on nuclear disarmament. 

    April 1, 2009 - By Deborah Bain

  • A New Start for US-Russian Relations

    By Joseph Cirincione

    The US and Russian presidents released in London today a remarkable statement that breaks from the stale mumbo jumbo of the past and details an ambitious work plan for a new relationship between the two countries--starting with the goal of a nuclear-free world.

    April 1, 2009 - By Joe Cirincione

  • Pressing the nuclear reset button

    Presidents Obama and Medvedev have the opportunity to reset the U.S.-Russian relationship with a new and far-reaching nuclear arms reduction treaty, according to Daryl Kimball of the Ploughshares-funded Arms Con

    April 1, 2009 - By Sarah Brown

  • Hagel, Global Zero Urge Obama to Back Nuclear Ban

    President Obama and Russian President Medvedev, who will meet for the first time next week, should agree on dramatic reductions of U.S.

    March 26, 2009 - By Sarah Brown

  • Central Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in effect

    On March 21, the Central Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free-Zone (CANWFZ) Treaty formally entered into force.  Kazakhstan, which once possessed the world's fourth-largest nuclear stockpile, signed the pact along with Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

    March 23, 2009 - By Sarah Brown

  • Obama taps Russia specialist for arms control post

    President Obama plans to nominate Rose Gottemoeller, a specialist in Russian defense and nuclear issues, for assistant secretary of state for verification and compliance.  Gottemoeller, a former Energy Department official, is now at the Ploughshares-funded Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. 

    March 17, 2009 - By Sarah Brown

  • New report on U.S. policy toward Russia

    The Commission on U.S. Policy toward Russia released a report titled The Right Direction for U.S. Policy toward Russia.  Co-chaired by Ploughshares Fund board member Hon.

    March 16, 2009 - By Sarah Brown

  • Defensible Missile Defense

    by Theodore Postol, Cambridge, MA

    In his recent letter to President Dmitri Medvedev of Russia, President Obama offered to modify the previous administration’s plans for a missile defense system in Europe. He was right to do so. A continued impasse with Russia might have prevented future arms reductions, created divisions with our European allies, done irreparable harm at the 2010 review of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty and impaired efforts to deal with Iran’s growing potential to become a nuclear weapons state.

    March 11, 2009 - By Anonymous