The
Treaty Between the United States of America and the Russian Federation on Strategic Offensive Reductions (
SORT), also known as the
Treaty of Moscow, was a strategic arms reduction treaty between the
United States and
Russia that was in force from June 2003 until February 2011 when it was superseded by the
New START treaty. At the time, SORT was positioned as "represent[ing] an important element of the new strategic relationship" between the two countries with both parties agreeing to limit their
nuclear arsenal to between 1,700 and 2,200 operationally deployed warheads each. It was signed in
Moscow on 24 May 2002. After ratification by the
U.S. Senate and the
State Duma, SORT came into force on 1 June 2003. It would have expired on 31 December 2012 if not superseded by
New START. Either party could have withdrawn from the treaty upon giving three months written notice to the other.