Shaheen Statement on President Trump’s Withdrawal from Russia Nuclear Arms Treaty

(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations and Armed Services Committees, issued the following statement in response to the Trump administration’s announcement that the United States will withdraw from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty with Russia.  

“The Kremlin is a bad actor and hasn’t been in compliance with the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty for some time, but if the United States is to withdraw, there must be a plan in place to prevent proliferation,” said Shaheen. “The Trump administration must carefully consider how it would prevent an arms race in the absence of the INF, and whether that includes negotiating a new treaty involving China. I urge the President to consult with our transatlantic allies, NATO, the U.S. intelligence community and Senate Foreign Relations Committee members about how to proceed and ensure there is an established strategy before the six-month period of withdrawal expires.” 

Senator Shaheen is a co-chair of the Senate North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Observer Group, which she re-established last year with Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC). Under Shaheen and Tillis’ guidance, the Senate NATO Observer Group expanded its mission to closely monitor and inform Senators outside of national security committees about defense spending commitments of Alliance members, the process of upgrading military capabilities, the Alliance’s counter-terrorism capability and the ability of NATO member states to address non-conventional warfare.