; Whereas heightened geopolitical tensions in recent years have made cooperation on non-proliferation and arms control issues with the Russian Federation more challenging; Whereas a range of actions by the Government of the Russian Federation has led to a deterioration in bilateral relations with the United States, including— (1) Russia’s brazen interference in the 2016 United States presidential elections; (2) its violation of the Treaty between the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on the Elimination of Their Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range Missiles (commonly known as the INF Treaty ), signed at Washington, DC, December 8, 1987, and entered into force June 1, 1988; (3) its use of a chemical nerve agent in an assassination attempt against Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in the United Kingdom in March 2018; (4) its illegal annexation of Crimea; (5) its invasion of Eastern Ukraine; and (6) its destabilizing actions in Syria; Whereas within a difficult environment, preserving agreements that continue to contribute to United States and global security, particularly the New START Treaty, is important, and the Department of State confirmed in February 2018 that Russia had met New START’s Central Treaty Limits and stated that implementation of the New START Treaty enhances the safety and security of the United States ; Whereas United States efforts to reduce dangers associated with the nuclear arsenals of both the Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of China, through an ambitious arms control agreement, would advance United States and global security, adding to the benefits to stability and transparency provided by existing agreements