John Kerry's position on

U.S.-Russian Relations: Two primary issues exist regarding U.S.-Russian relations (excluding Chechnya). First, on September 13, 2004, President Putin announced his decision to overhaul Russia's political system due to recent terror attacks, causing distress in the United States regarding the limits on democracy. This overhaul included announcing the end of popular elections of governors and independent lawmakers and instead allowing the people to only vote for parties rather than for individuals. This is in addition to earlier reforms by Putin that include state-controlled media, control over the energy industry, jailing or exiling those that defy Putin, and showing dominance over both houses of the Parliament. link Second, the United States and Russia have been working to reduce nuclear weapons stockpiles in both countries since the end of the Cold War, although both countries still have much work to do. The United States and former Soviet countries have been engaged in the Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR) program since 1991. The program is designed for the United States to assist (financially and physically) in dismantling and safely removing nuclear weapons from the former Soviet countries. Although neither candidate refers to CTR when discussing nuclear weapons in Russia, their proposed policies are components of the CTR program. link

Description of candidate's position: Kerry responded to President Putin's "reform" announcement by explaining that democracy in Russia is important for Russian citizens and for the world as a whole. Although he was supportive of Putin's need to respond to the terror threat in Russia, Kerry argued that a free Russia will stabilize U.S.-Russian relations and relations around the world (link). On the second issue regarding nuclear weapons stockpiles, Kerry proposes "completing a 'Global Cleanout' by securing nuclear material at research reactors around the world within four years," and accelerating the current plans for the United States and Russia to reduce their weapons stockpiles (link) 

Quotation from the candidate: "At my first summit with the Russian President, I will seek an agreement to sweep aside the key obstacles slowing our efforts to secure Russia's nuclear stockpiles… The [Bush] Administration just announced plans to remove potential bomb material from vulnerable sites outside the former Soviet Union over the next ten years. We simply can't afford another decade of this danger. My plan will safeguard this bomb making material in four years. We can't wait&emdash;and I won't wait when I am president." June 2004, from link

Assessment of the Proposal: 

Positive: Rose Gottemoeller, senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, explains that the only way to ensure peace and stability is to reduce nuclear weapons. She argues that the sooner the United States and Russia reduce their weapons, the sooner both countries can stop worrying about weapons getting into terrorists' hands. Additionally, she states "although the current U.S. administration does not seem interested in reductions beyond those enshrined in the SORT (Strategic Offensive Reduction Treaty), there are good reasons to pursue them."

Negative: Vance Serchuk, research associate in defense and security policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute, believes that Kerry is flip-flopping on Russia. Regarding President Putin's statements about democracy in Russia, Serchuck explains that Kerry criticized Bush for ignoring the advances of democracy in Russia, but also says that Kerry was quoted as saying "he 'would play down the promotion of democracy in dealing with… Russia.'"

Comparison: Both Bush and Kerry agree that it is in America's best interests for Russia to remain a free and stable democracy. Both candidates have publicly disagreed with Putin's statements regarding the reduction of civil liberties in Russia, while at the same time, supporting Russia's anti-terror sentiment. On the issue of weapons stockpiles, the candidates have some disagreement. Both believe that weapons stockpiles should be reduced, but their proposed methods differ. Kerry believes the United States and Russia should work together to reduce their weapons within four years. Bush prefers to remove U.S. stockpiles unilaterally instead of signing treaties with Russia (link) and has endorsed the G-8 Global Partnership that outlines the reduction in nuclear weapons in the former Soviet Union over the next ten years (link).

Link to Bush's issue brief.