Strategic Arms Reduction Talks (START)

Disarmament agreements that began in Geneva in 1982 (START I) and continued with two further treaties (START II and START III) after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. These Strategic Arms Reduction treaties took place between the United States and the Soviet Union until 1993, when the former Soviet republics of Kazakhstan, Ukraine, and Belarus joined Russia in the talks. The breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991 delayed the implementation of the START I agreement by three-and-a-half years.

START I dealt with offensive weapons and was finally signed in 1991, just before the collapse of the Soviet Union. START II focused on the elimination of heavy intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and multiple warhead ICBMs. START II was ratified by the U.S. Senate in 1996 and by the Russian Duma [Page 681]in 2000. START III is currently under negotiation between the United States and the Soviet Union.

Enforcement of the treaties is dependent on extensive data exchange, notifications, on-site inspections, and continuous monitoring activities. A projected START IV agreement would involve all declared nuclear nations and would have the goal of substantially reducing global warhead levels. A central concern of nations in the post–Cold War era is the issue of weapons proliferation and the maintenance of large arsenals, for which the collapse of the Soviet Union is seen as an important contributing factor.