Book Review: “Negotiating the New START Treaty” by Rose Gottemoeller

“A compelling first-hand account … provides critical perspective on negotiations with the Russians, as well as the U.S. government, particularly the U.S. Senate. … offers important context of the strategic logic behind the tussles over technical issues by various actors and stakeholders. … By explaining why Russians and Americans held different approaches to how to undertake such seemingly mundane things as “counting” warheads, the author illustrates why it is critical to understand the basics of each side’s force posture and attendant strategies. …Another important theme of the book is the role of gender. As the first female lead negotiator for a major nuclear treaty in a male-dominated field, Gottemoeller broke new ground. Yet, this was no cakewalk. She faced a shocking amount of misogyny from the Russian delegation. … Gottemoeller lets the reader know that these are special considerations which women in leadership positions may have to navigate. … This very accessible book is an important read and is recommended for a variety of audiences. Those interested in international affairs will gain a better sense of the many moving parts at play during the negotiation process. Students of non-proliferation and arms control will appreciate an insider’s look at one of the most important agreements of our time. Readers interested in statecraft and leadership will find a down-to-earth account of what the daily grind looks like.” —Orbis

Negotiating the New START Treaty is the winner of the 2021 Douglas Dillon Award for a Book of Distinction on the Practice of American Diplomacy. The book includes color images.

About the author: Rose Gottemoeller is the Frank E. and Arthur W. Payne Distinguished Lecturer at Stanford University’s Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies and its Center for International Security and Cooperation. She is also a research fellow at the Hoover Institution. Before joining Stanford, Gottemoeller was the Deputy Secretary General of NATO from 2016 to 2019, where she helped to drive forward NATO’s adaptation to new security challenges in Europe and in the fight against terrorism. Prior to NATO, she served for nearly five years as the Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security at the U.S. Department of State, advising the Secretary of State on arms control, nonproliferation and political-military affairs. While Assistant Secretary of State for Arms Control, Verification and Compliance in 2009 and 2010, she was the chief US negotiator of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) with the Russian Federation. Before this government service, she was a senior associate with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, with joint appointments to the Nonproliferation and Russia programs. She served as the Director of the Carnegie Moscow Center from 2006 to 2008 and is currently a nonresident fellow in Carnegie’s Nuclear Policy Program.

This book is in the Rapid Communications in Conflict and Security (RCCS) Series (General Editor: Geoffrey R.H. Burn)

Negotiating the New START Treaty is available in hardcover, paperback, and multiple digital formats. Order at the Cambria Press website.

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