Washington: The US said on Tuesday that Russia was not complying. New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), the last arms control agreement between the world’s two major nuclear powers, viz Tension rises On the war in Ukraine
In response to a congressional request, the State Department faulted Russia for suspending inspections and canceling talks but did not accuse the Cold War rival of spreading nuclear warheads beyond agreed limits.
“Russia is not complying with its obligation under New START to facilitate inspection activities on its territory,” a State Department spokesman said, calling Moscow’s refusal to “enable US-Russian nuclear arms control.” There is a threat to action.”
“Russia has a clear path to return to full compliance. Russia needs to allow inspection activities on its territory, as it has done for years under the New START Treaty, and the Bilateral Advisory Commission. met in the meeting,” he said. Referring to the formal negotiations under the agreement, he said.
“There is nothing preventing Russian inspectors from going to the US and inspecting.”
Moscow announced in early August that it was suspending US inspections of its military sites under New START. It said it was responding to US obstruction of inspections by Russia, a charge Washington denies.
Diplomacy between the two powers has been minimal over the past year as the United States leads a campaign to punish Russia economically and arm Ukraine with billions of dollars worth of weapons as it resists Moscow’s aggression.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued thinly veiled threats to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine, reviving Cold War-era fears of an apocalyptic war.
Russia indefinitely postponed the New Start talks, which began in Cairo on November 29, accusing the US of “toxicity and hostility”.
Make the world safer
Shortly after taking office, President Joe Biden extended Fresh Start by five years until 2026, giving the Democratic administration time to negotiate while maintaining what it sees as a key existing deal.
The previous administration of Donald Trump scrapped previous arms control agreements and expressed reluctance to preserve New START in its current form, saying any nuclear deal would include China. should, whose arsenal is growing rapidly but is still small compared to that of Russia. United States
The Biden administration has indicated that it wants to preserve New START, saying the deal is meant to “make the world safer.”
“To fully deliver on the treaty’s promise to ensure that it remains an instrument of stability and predictability, Russia must fully implement its obligations and its obligations,” a State Department spokesman said. Must comply.”
Republican lawmakers, who took control of the House of Representatives in January, have asked Secretary of State Anthony Blanken to report by Tuesday on whether Russia is violating New START.
In a letter last week, the Republican heads of the Foreign Affairs, Armed Services and Intelligence committees said Russia’s actions and statements “raise serious compliance concerns at a minimum.”
New START, signed by then-President Barack Obama in 2010 when relations were warming, limits Russia and the U.S. to a maximum of 1,550 deployable strategic nuclear warheads — a limit previously set in 2002. is about 30% short of the limit.
It also limits the number of launchers and heavy bombers to 800, which is easy enough to destroy land.