Russia's upper legislative house ratified the START II nuclear arms reduction treaty by a vote of 122-15, with seven abstentions. New amendments to START II still must be approved by the U.S Senate before it takes effect. The U.S. Senate must approve a 1997 amendment that gave Russia more time to destroy the warheads that will be fazed out under the agreement. Putting the amendments up for approval could raise the possibility of conservative U.S. senators trying to scuttle another the Anti-Ballistic Missile treaty. Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned the United States that he will abandon START II and all nuclear arms control treaties if Washington breaks with the ABM treaty.

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