Russia: May 16, 2002

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The US and Russia have agreed to sign a treaty that will reduced each nations nuclear arsenal to 1700-2200 warheads. This is a reduction of some 65 percent. However, while Russia will dismantle it's warheads, the US will put it's demobilized warheads in storage. Russian inspectors will have access to the storage sites. It's unclear what the logic is of keeping these surplus warheads in storage. If the active duty 2000 warheads are used, how many targets could be left for the storage warheads? It is possible that the Chinese might get into a Cold War era "warhead race" (where each side made additional more accurate warheads to destroy each others missiles in a first strike.) But Chinese technology is more than a decade away from even attempting that and may never go in that direction (it's very expensive and the Chinese have never shown any eagerness to spend as much on the military as the Russians did.)

NATO has made a deal with Russia to give Russia more input into NATO decisions.