The White House, President George W. Bush Click to print this document

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
December 27, 2001

Fact Sheet
Administration Review Of Nonproliferation and Threat Reduction Assistance to the Russian Federation

The President has made clear repeatedly that his Administration is committed to strong, effective cooperation with Russia and the other states of the Former Soviet Union to reduce weapons of mass destruction and prevent their proliferation. To ensure that the promise of those programs is fully realized, the Administration has undertaken, in consultation with the Congress, a detailed review of U.S. nonproliferation and threat reduction assistance to the Russian Federation.

The review examined over 30 different programs, with a combined budget in Fiscal Year 2001 of approximately $750 million. The aims of the review were threefold:

The review further identified four programs for expansion:

The Department of Defense will seek to accelerate the Cooperative Threat Reduction project to construct a chemical weapons destruction facility at Shchuch'ye (Russia), to enable its earlier completion at no increased expense. We welcome the contributions that friends and allies have made to this project thus far, and will work for their enhancement.

As a result of the review, other programs are being adjusted, refocused or reexamined:

The decisions from the Administration review will be implemented vigorously, in accordance with the President's clear direction.

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