Strategic Weapons: June 13, 2000

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In a bid to raise cash and assert Russian geopolitical clout, Russian President Putin has announced that Russia will export sensitive nuclear power technology (although not nuclear weapons technology) to anyone who can pay, even if those countries are not operating under the inspections of the International Atomic Energy Agency. This is a radical break with the previous policy (imposed by Yeltsin in 1992) which allowed nuclear exports only to countries under IAEA supervision. This barred Russian nuclear technology exports to India, Pakistan, Israel, and Cuba (which never signed the Non-Proliferation Treaty).--Stephen V Cole