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| U.S. Delegation Is to Visit Moscow to Review Claims of a Missile Violation | U.S. Delegation Is to Visit Moscow to Review Claims of a Missile Violation |
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| WASHINGTON — With the prospects for future cooperation on arms control hanging in the balance, the Obama administration is sending a team of senior officials to Moscow this week to try to resolve American allegations that Russia has violated a landmark nuclear accord. | WASHINGTON — With the prospects for future cooperation on arms control hanging in the balance, the Obama administration is sending a team of senior officials to Moscow this week to try to resolve American allegations that Russia has violated a landmark nuclear accord. |
| At the heart of the dispute is the United States allegation that Russia has tested a ground-launched cruise missile in violation of the 1987 Soviet-American treaty banning intermediate-range missiles based on land. Russia began testing the cruise missile as early as 2008, according to American officials. The Obama administration first raised its concerns with the Russians in May 2013 and formally alleged that the test was a violation in July. | At the heart of the dispute is the United States allegation that Russia has tested a ground-launched cruise missile in violation of the 1987 Soviet-American treaty banning intermediate-range missiles based on land. Russia began testing the cruise missile as early as 2008, according to American officials. The Obama administration first raised its concerns with the Russians in May 2013 and formally alleged that the test was a violation in July. |
| The American delegation, led by Rose Gottemoeller, the State Department’s senior arms control official, is set to meet with Russian officials on Thursday, and includes experts from the National Security Council, the Pentagon and the Energy Department. | The American delegation, led by Rose Gottemoeller, the State Department’s senior arms control official, is set to meet with Russian officials on Thursday, and includes experts from the National Security Council, the Pentagon and the Energy Department. |
| The talks would be difficult under the best of circumstances. But they will occur at a time of sharp tensions over Ukraine and broad differences over the future of arms control. | The talks would be difficult under the best of circumstances. But they will occur at a time of sharp tensions over Ukraine and broad differences over the future of arms control. |
| Western experts say that nuclear weapons have assumed a larger place in Russia’s military doctrine to compensate for weaknesses in its conventional forces. President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia reinforced that impression last month when he highlighted Russia’s nuclear prowess in comments that appeared intended to dissuade the West from providing significant military support to Ukraine. | Western experts say that nuclear weapons have assumed a larger place in Russia’s military doctrine to compensate for weaknesses in its conventional forces. President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia reinforced that impression last month when he highlighted Russia’s nuclear prowess in comments that appeared intended to dissuade the West from providing significant military support to Ukraine. |
| “Russia is far from being involved in any large-scale conflicts,” he said at a youth camp outside Moscow. “We don’t want that and don’t plan on it. But naturally, we should always be ready to repel any aggression towards Russia. | |
| “I want to remind you that Russia is one of the most powerful nuclear nations,” Mr. Putin said, stressing, “It’s best not to mess with us.” | |
| The United States and Russia concluded an arms reduction agreement during Mr. Obama’s first term in office to cut the number of deployed strategic nuclear warheads to 1,550 by 2018. Russia had already reduced those weapons to 1,512 by March, while the United States had 1,585 warheads. | The United States and Russia concluded an arms reduction agreement during Mr. Obama’s first term in office to cut the number of deployed strategic nuclear warheads to 1,550 by 2018. Russia had already reduced those weapons to 1,512 by March, while the United States had 1,585 warheads. |
| But senior Russian officials have also signaled that Russia is not ready to negotiate even deeper cuts in long-range nuclear arms, rebuffing President Obama’s 2013 proposal for a new agreement that would further reduce deployed strategic nuclear weapons by up to a third. | |
| “Now is the most inauspicious moment in the past 10 to 15 years to talk about further reductions,” Mikhail Ulyanov, a senior Russian foreign ministry, told the Russian news agency RIA Novosti in December. “No one is going to disarm to the detriment of one’s own security.” | “Now is the most inauspicious moment in the past 10 to 15 years to talk about further reductions,” Mikhail Ulyanov, a senior Russian foreign ministry, told the Russian news agency RIA Novosti in December. “No one is going to disarm to the detriment of one’s own security.” |
| Explaining Russia’s reluctance to commit to deeper cuts in long-range arms, Mr. Ulyanov argued that it was not possible to consider the reductions in part because of the American plans to deploy antimissile defenses in Europe. The United States insists the antimissile program is aimed at defending against the emerging Iranian missile threat. | Explaining Russia’s reluctance to commit to deeper cuts in long-range arms, Mr. Ulyanov argued that it was not possible to consider the reductions in part because of the American plans to deploy antimissile defenses in Europe. The United States insists the antimissile program is aimed at defending against the emerging Iranian missile threat. |
| And some Western experts say that Moscow has not pursued meaningful compromises over the issue and seems disinterested in negotiating deeper cuts in long-range arms as it pursues a weapons modernization program that involves the deployment of new nuclear-tipped land-based missiles, new missile firing submarines and a new air-launched cruise missile. | And some Western experts say that Moscow has not pursued meaningful compromises over the issue and seems disinterested in negotiating deeper cuts in long-range arms as it pursues a weapons modernization program that involves the deployment of new nuclear-tipped land-based missiles, new missile firing submarines and a new air-launched cruise missile. |
| “As much as I would like to see deeper nuclear reductions, the Russians are unlikely to agree to a new treaty during the remainder of President Obama’s term,” said Steven Pifer, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, who served as a senior State Department official. | “As much as I would like to see deeper nuclear reductions, the Russians are unlikely to agree to a new treaty during the remainder of President Obama’s term,” said Steven Pifer, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, who served as a senior State Department official. |
| Even if the Russians were receptive to deeper cuts in long-range nuclear arms, it is unlikely that the Senate would approve a new strategic arms agreement without some resolution of the compliance issue pertaining to the 1987 accord, which was signed by President Ronald Reagan and Mikhail S. Gorbachev, the Soviet leader. | |
| The accord, which prohibits land based cruise or ballistic missiles capable of flying 300 to 3,400 miles, is widely viewed as a landmark agreement that helped seal the end of the Cold War. | The accord, which prohibits land based cruise or ballistic missiles capable of flying 300 to 3,400 miles, is widely viewed as a landmark agreement that helped seal the end of the Cold War. |
| NATO’s top commander, Gen. Philip M. Breedlove, has also said that some military measures will need to be taken in response if the violation cannot be resolved. “It can’t go unanswered,” he said in an interview in April. | |
| After determining that Russia had violated the 1987 accord, Mr. Obama sent Mr. Putin a letter in July stating that the United States had an interest in a high-level dialogue that would seek to preserve the treaty. Secretary of State John Kerry conveyed a similar message in a July phone call to Sergey V. Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister. | |
| While American officials are adamant that the cruise missile test is a violation, they do not believe the missile has been deployed. | While American officials are adamant that the cruise missile test is a violation, they do not believe the missile has been deployed. |
| The Obama administration has not said how it proposes to resolve the issue, but arms control experts say that a solution might entail a commitment not to deploy the system and inspections to show that the missiles and their launchers have been destroyed. | |
| Russia, however, responded publicly with its own allegations, including charges that an Aegis missile defense system that is to be deployed in Romania could be used to fire cruise missiles. | Russia, however, responded publicly with its own allegations, including charges that an Aegis missile defense system that is to be deployed in Romania could be used to fire cruise missiles. |
| American officials believe the Russian charges are intended to muddy the issue. And it remains to be seen if the coming meeting in Moscow will lead to a constructive solution of the American cheating concern or merely a tit-for-tat round of allegations. | |
| “We presume this is an important treaty and it should be duly implemented,” Mr. Ulyanov, who is leading the Russian delegation at the session said Monday, according to the Russian news agency Interfax. | “We presume this is an important treaty and it should be duly implemented,” Mr. Ulyanov, who is leading the Russian delegation at the session said Monday, according to the Russian news agency Interfax. |
| “Yet we have a number of serious old and new claims, questions and concerns about the U.S. policy and we will raise these questions,” he added. “We will ask the Americans for explanations.” | “Yet we have a number of serious old and new claims, questions and concerns about the U.S. policy and we will raise these questions,” he added. “We will ask the Americans for explanations.” |