Russian Nuclear Weapons: U.S. Implementation of the Soviet Nuclear Threat Reduction Act of 1991

GAO discussed the results of its review of the implementation of the Soviet Nuclear Threat Reduction Act of 1991. GAO noted that: (1) Congress authorized $400 million in Department of Defense funds to implement the act, but most of the funds have not been tied to specific projects; (2) executive branch agencies have overcome various complications and negotiated several agreements to protect weapons and prevent accidents; (3) the agreements may prove to minimize dangers posed by terrorists or accidents, but they are not linked to the priority destruction of Russian nuclear weapons; (4) U.S. officials have offered various forms of assistance, but Russian officials have declined U.S. help in dismantling their nuclear weapons and requested assistance in building a storage facility for uranium and plutonium from dismantled weapons; and (5) the Russian request raises numerous questions concerning the facility and its role in the disposal of these materials.