A treaty between U.S. and Russia that limits the two countries’ nuclear arsenal has taken effect on Monday, seven years after it was signed.
The State Department said Monday the U.S. government has fully complied with the Treaty on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms, or New START, since August 2017.
The department added that the U.S. government will confirm Russia’s compliance with New START through a scheduled data exchange.
The two countries have shared data on their strategic nuclear arsenals twice every year over the last seven years as part of the agreement and the next data exchange is slated to occur within the next month.
U.S. officials have conducted short-notice, on-site inspections at Russian military bases and facilities through the treaty to verify data on Russia’s strategic nuclear arsenal.
The State Department noted that the U.S. government will continue to implement New START in cooperation with Russia as well as support efforts to eliminate nuclear weapons worldwide.
