Former Pentagon Official: U.S. Subsidizing Russia’s Nuclear Weapons Buildup

In an interview with Bill Gertz of the Washington Free Beacon, former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Eric Edelman revealed that the United States is, in effect, subsidizing Russia’s increasing nuclear weapons capacity -- weapons that could be used against the U.S. in any major war with the West Gertz’s report describes how the “Energy Department plans to spend more than $60 million in Russia for nuclear security activities at the same time U.S. and European Union sanctions are punishing Moscow for aggression against Ukraine.”

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“The Energy Department’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), which is in charge of nuclear arms and nuclear security, has budgeted the funds to be spent this year through an international organization called the Multilateral Nuclear Environmental Program in Russia,” said Gertz. A spokesperson for the NNSA refused to answer questions about the funding plan, “suggesting details about it are classified.” However, “administration officials told the Free Beacon there are concerns within the administration that Russia will divert the funds to help mitigate the impact of the economic sanctions, or that the money will be misused in other ways.” It is the possible diversion of funds that has Edelman so concerned:

“The idea that they’re securing nuclear materials as a favor to us is absurd,” said Edelman, a former under secretary of defense for policy. “Since money is fungible, by continuing to fund these programs we are in effect having U.S. taxpayers subsidize Russia’s nuclear buildup.”

In an interview with the Free Beacon, Rep. Jim Bridenstine (R., Okla.) indicated he would seek to toughen legislation being debated in the House this week that looks to restrict American funding of nuclear non-proliferation programs in Russia, as well as support the 2016 defense authorization bill prohibiting U.S. assistance to Russia. Former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations -- John Bolton -- also stated that “Russia has consistently sought to divert funds from destroying [weapons of mass destruction] or related efforts to projects with a higher priority to Moscow.”