“Russia’s approval of the START II Treaty puts the seal on a historic step in the disarmament process.
The agreed reduction of strategic arsenals is a signal to the whole world that the two biggest nuclear-weapon states are ready to make serious progress on nuclear disarmament.
Such a far-reaching disarmament treaty also bolsters efforts to strengthen the international system of nuclear non-proliferation. In the interest of our own security and of international security, we must prevent a situation where more and more states or even terrorists are getting their hands on nuclear weapons.
I hope that the ratification of the Treaty will give equal impetus to progress on disarmament in other areas too, such as sub-strategic nuclear weapons or conventional arsenals.
Germany will do what it can to ensure further progress on the global disarmament agenda.”