Introduction

The signing of the START-II Treaty on 1993 heralded the end of an era. Since the late 1960s the United States and the former Soviet Union have engaged in a series of laborious arms control negotiations that, though establishing some useful parameters for the management of the strategic nuclear relationship, did little to lessen concerns about each other's nuclear capabilities. START II at last represents success. The United States and Russia have agreed to reduce their strategic nuclear arsenals by about two-thirds, from current levels of around 11,00012,000 warheads to about 3,0003,500 by 2003 at the latest. The first concerns the potential for further positive bilateral efforts in nuclear arms control in the wake of START II. The second concerns the past discontinuity between the nuclear policies of the nuclear states and the global attempt to limit the spread of nuclear weapons. The third concerns the need to consider new approaches to managing the spread of nuclear weapons technology.