Obama submitted a notice of the extension for publication in the U.S. Federal Register on Monday, Russia’s state-run RIA Novosti news agency reported.
“The accumulation of a large volume of weapons-usable fissile material in the territory of the Russian Federation continues to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States,” Obama said to the US Congress in a message accompanying the notice.
“For this reason, I have determined that it is necessary to continue the national emergency declared with respect to the risk of nuclear proliferation created by the accumulation of a large volume of weapons-usable fissile material in the territory of the Russian Federation and maintain in force these emergency authorities to respond to this threat,” he said.
Former US President Bill Clinton declared the national emergency over Russian nuclear material in Executive Order 13159 of June 21, 2000. The emergency has been extended annually ever since.
MP/MA