START TREATY: JCIC-DIP-08-007: SATISFYING ARTICLE

S E C R E T KYIV 002185


GENEVA FOR JCIC

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/30/2018
TAGS: PARM KACT START JCIC UP

SUBJECT: START TREATY: JCIC-DIP-08-007: SATISFYING ARTICLE
XVII REQUIREMENT TO CONSIDER WHETHER TO EXTEND START

REF: STATE 112253

Classified By: Political Counselor Colin Cleary for reasons 1.4 (b/d).


1. (S) Embassy delivered reftel diplomatic note on October 30
to Ambassador Oleksandr Nykonenko, Director of the Arms
Control and Military and Technical Cooperation Directorate of
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Nykonenko agreed that the
November Joint Compliance and Inspection Commission (JCIC)
session in Geneva would meet the requirement under the START
Treaty for a meeting of all five parties no later than one
year before the expiration of the Treaty to consider whether
to extend START.


2. (S) Nykonenko, who recently replaced Volodymir Belashov,
stressed that Ukraine is following the post-START process
with great interest. Ukraine's objective is a legally
binding post-START arrangement. Nykonenko commented that
Ukraine had given up its nuclear weapons based on the 1994
trilateral U.S.-Ukraine-Russia statement, which offered
security guarantees. It might be time for a new trilateral
statement, he asserted. Nykonenko added that important work
remains to be done in Ukraine under START, notably SS-24
solid fuel rocket motor elimination.


3. (S) Nykonenko requested that the U.S. and Ukraine meet
bilaterally on the margins of the JCIC to discuss post-START
and other non-proliferation issues.
TAYLOR


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