Since debate began last Wednesday, some Republicans have sought to make amendments to the treaty's preamble or text but were defeated by its proponents in Senate floor action. More than seventy Republican amendments have been filed to the chamber.
Any attempt to make changes and call for negotiations means killing of the accord, as Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned on Monday: "I can just emphasize that the treaty, in our view, is completely in line with the national interests of Russia and the U.S.. It cannot be reopened and become a subject of new negotiations."