Russia, Putin, and the Nuclear Arms Threat: Nuclear Weapons: Doctrine, Forces, and Modernization, Skripal Nerve Agent Poisoning, U.S. Sanctions, Arms Control: Extending New START or Starting Over‪?‬

Four authoritative reports have been professionally converted for accurate flowing-text e-book format reproduction: Russia's Nuclear Weapons: Doctrine, Forces, and Modernization; Russia, the Skripal Poisoning, and U.S. Sanctions; U.S. Sanctions on Russia: An Overview; and Russia and Arms Control: Extending New Start or Starting Over?

Russia's Nuclear Weapons: Doctrine, Forces, and Modernization - Russia's nuclear forces consist of both long-range, strategic systems - including intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs), and heavy bombers -and shorter- and medium-range delivery systems. Russia is modernizing its nuclear forces, replacing Soviet-era systems with new missiles, submarines and aircraft while developing new types of delivery systems. Although Russia's number of nuclear weapons has declined sharply since the end of Cold War, it retains a stockpile of thousands of warheads, with more than 1,500 warheads deployed on missiles and bombers capable of reaching U.S. territory.

The Poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal - On March 4, 2018, in Salisbury, United Kingdom, British citizen Sergei Skripal, a former Russian military intelligence officer once imprisoned in Russia for allegedly working as a UK double agent, his daughter, and a police officer were exposed to a highly toxic and potentially lethal chemical weapon agent. In July 2018, British media reported that another British citizen died after she and her partner allegedly came into contact with a bottle containing the nerve agent. British authorities identified the substance as a Novichok, an advanced nerve agent originally developed in the Soviet Union.

Sanctions - The United States imposes sanctions on Russian persons (individuals, entities, and vessels) in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, election interference, other malicious cyber-enabled activities, human rights abuses, use of a chemical weapon, weapons proliferation, illicit trade with North Korea, and support to Syria and Venezuela. Sanctions against Russian persons may include blocking of assets subject to U.S. jurisdiction; limits on access to the U.S. financial system, including limiting or prohibiting transactions involving U.S. individuals and businesses; and denial of entry into the United States. The United States also tightly controls exports to Russia's energy and defense sectors.

Extending New Start or Starting Over? The United States and Russia are in compliance with New START, as multiple administration officials have stated and testified previously. And the agreement has effectively reduced nuclear arsenals in both countries. Through New START, we have also had unprecedented access to transparency around Russia's nuclear arsenal. Since the agreement entered into force in 2011, the United States and Russia have carried out nearly 300 inspections and more than 18,000 notifications. This has meant our military has been better informed about the threats we face and how we could prioritize investments in defense and readiness. General John Hyten, Commander of the United States Strategic Command, told Congress earlier this year that he is a, quote/unquote, ''big supporter'' of the treaty, and that he saw no reason to withdraw from it, unless Russia stops complying. Other leaders, including former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Michael Mullen, former Secretary of State George Shultz, and former Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz, have specifically called for extension of New START.

This compilation includes a reproduction of the 2019 Worldwide Threat Assessment of the U.S. Intelligence Community.