VZCZCXYZ0008
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHC #0487 1622111
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
O P 112048Z JUN 09
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW IMMEDIATE 0000
INFO RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 0000

S E C R E T STATE 060487 
 
SIPDIS, GENEVA FOR JCIC 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/12/2029 
TAGS: PARM PREL KACT START JCIC US KTIA RS
SUBJECT: U.S.-PROPOSED TEXT OF A JOINT UNDERSTANDING 
REGARDING A START FOLLOW-ON TREATY 
 
REF: STATE 50910 
 
Classified By: Jerry A. Taylor, Director, VIC/SI. 
Reason: 1.4(b) and (d) 
 
¶1. (U) Assistant Secretary for Verification, Compliance, 
and Implementation, Rose Gottemoeller, during continuing 
negotiations regarding a START follow-on treaty with 
Russian MFA Director of Security and Disarmament Affairs 
Anatoliy Antonov, undertook to provide to the Russian 
Federation the U.S. draft text for a joint understanding 
regarding a START follow-on treaty. 
 
¶2.  (S) ACTION REQUEST:  Embassy Moscow is requested to 
provide the text contained in paragraph 3 below to 
appropriate host government officials in the form of a 
diplomatic note as soon as possible on June 15. 
Washington will provide the embassy with a courtesy 
Russian-language translation of the note in paragraph 3; 
however, delivery of the demarche should not be delayed if 
the translation is delayed.  Embassy should inform the 
Russian Federation that elements of the U.S. Non-paper 
contained in the reference cable but not included in the 
U.S. Non-Paper on a "Joint Understanding" remain U.S. 
proposals for the START Follow-on Treaty.  Embassy is 
requested to confirm the delivery of the note, the name 
and office of the official to whom it was delivered, the 
date of the delivery, and any comment/reaction provided at 
that time. 
 
¶3. (S/Releasable to the Russian Federation) 
Begin text. 
 
U.S. Non-paper 
 
(Date) 
JOINT UNDERSTANDING 
 
The President of the United States of America and the 
President of the Russian Federation have decided on 
further reductions in their nation's strategic nuclear 
forces.  Specifically, the two presidents have decided to 
promptly conclude a treaty that replaces the current START 
Treaty, to include the following elements: 
 
¶1.  Reduction of their strategic nuclear forces, within 
the seven-year period following entry into force of the 
treaty, to no more than: 
 
(a) An aggregate total of 1500-1600 operationally deployed 
strategic nuclear warheads for each nation. 
 
(b) An aggregate total of 1100 deployed ICBMs and their 
associated launchers, deployed SLBMs and their associated 
launchers, and deployed heavy bombers for each nation. 
 
¶2. Provisions for calculating these limits, to include the 
following: 
 
(a) The number of operationally deployed strategic nuclear 
warheads to be determined as: 
 
(i) For an ICBM or SLBM, nuclear warheads on an ICBM in 
its launcher or on an SLBM in its launcher onboard a 
submarine. 
 
(ii) For heavy bombers, nuclear warheads loaded on a heavy 
bomber and nuclear warheads for heavy bombers located in 
specified weapon storage areas associated with or directly 
supporting heavy bomber air bases. 
 
(b) The number of deployed ICBMs and their associated 
launchers, deployed SLBMs and their associated launchers, 
and deployed heavy bombers for each nation to be 
determined as: 
 
(i) All such ICBMs and their associated launchers, and all 
such SLBMs and their associated launchers tested for the 
delivery of nuclear warheads; 
 
(ii) All deployed heavy bombers equipped for nuclear 
armaments. 
 
(c) Launchers that are no longer capable of supporting 
operational ICBMs or SLBMs, and heavy bombers that have 
been converted to non-nuclear only roles will not be 
subject to the treaty. 
 
¶3. Provisions from the START Treaty on definitions, data 
exchanges, notifications, eliminations, inspections and 
verification procedures, as well as confidence building 
and transparency measures, as adapted, simplified, and 
made less costly, as appropriate. 
 
¶4. Establishment of an implementation body to resolve 
questions related to treaty implementation. 
 
¶5. The provisions of the treaty will not apply to existing 
patterns of cooperation in the area of strategic offensive 
arms between a Party and a third state. 
 
¶6. A duration of the treaty of ten years, unless it is 
superseded before that time by a subsequent treaty on the 
reduction of strategic nuclear forces. 
 
        The two Presidents direct that the treaty be 
promptly negotiated so that they may sign and submit it 
for ratification in their respective countries. 
 
        The two Presidents have also directed that the 
treaty be accompanied by a commitment to initiate promptly 
negotiations directed toward concluding a subsequent 
treaty that achieves additional, further reductions in 
overall nuclear warheads, including non-strategic and 
non-deployed warheads. 
 
        Signed at (City), this (date) day of (month), 
2009, in two originals, in the English and Russian 
languages. 
 
FOR THE UNITED STATES                   FOR THE 
RUSSIAN FEDERATION 
OF AMERICA 
 
(President Obama) 
(President Medvedev) 
 
End text. 
CLINTON