American President George W. Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin have agreed to a historic arms control treaty that will make drastic cuts in the two countries' nuclear arsenals. The agreement should be applauded, but it is long overdue: Domestic politics in both countries have conspired against similar cuts over the past two decades. There are other grounds for concern: The two men agreed to cut their arsenals without actually eliminating any of the weapons. These "virtual" cuts should be made real. When that happens, the world will truly have something to celebrate.
Currently, the U.S. has about 6,000 strategic nuclear weapons and Russia has some 5,500, more than enough to devastate the planet and all its inhabitants. While campaigning for president, Mr. Bush called for drastic cuts in those strategic arsenals, both to reflect a post-Cold War outlook and to make his call for missile defense more palatable. Mr. Putin also called for steep reductions, but he has been motivated more by necessity than a strategic design: Russia's arsenal is decaying and the military does not have the resources to maintain and secure its weapons.
The two men were not the first to campaign for deep cuts. Previous leaders of the two governments had negotiated reductions of one-half to two-thirds of their arsenals, but conservatives in both countries scuttled the agreements. These two presidents, unlike their predecessors, have the credentials to secure their right flanks, making a deal possible.