Russia on Wednesday accused the United States of destroying the legal framework of the New Start Treaty on nuclear disarmament, after Washington denounced Moscow’s refusal to fulfill its obligations.
A State Department spokesman complained Tuesday that Russia was not fulfilling “its obligation under the Treaty.” [novo começo] to facilitate inspection activities in its territory”.
“We see that the United States has effectively destroyed the legal framework for the control and security of nuclear weapons,” the Kremlin spokesman (Russian Presidency), Dmitry Peskov, responded on Wednesday.
Faced with a “sad situation,” Peskov added that Russia “believes that the maintenance of this treaty is very important,” according to the French agency AFP.
The Russian ambassador in Washington, Anatoli Antonov, also lamented the action of the United States, which he said undermines the objective of the agreement, which is to “maintain the balance of the strategic offensive weapons of the parties.”
“Washington refuses to see the root causes of the problem, blaming others,” Antonov said in a statement posted on the Facebook social network.
Antonov said that Russia “warned that arms control [nucleares] cannot be isolated from geopolitical realities”.
“Under the current circumstances, we consider it unjustified, inappropriate and inappropriate to invite the US military to our strategic installations,” he added, referring to the war against Ukraine that Russia launched almost a year ago.
US diplomacy has criticized Moscow in recent weeks for suspending inspections and canceling talks on the treaty.
However, he did not accuse Russia of expanding its nuclear arsenal beyond the limits agreed by the two parties.
Last year, Russia announced the postponement of a meeting with the United States, scheduled for late November, on inspections under the treaty, accusing Washington of “hostility and toxicity.”
The last meeting of the bilateral advisory commission provided for in the treaty dates from October 2021.
Relations between the two nuclear powers are at their lowest level since the start of the Russian war against Ukraine on February 24, 2022.
The United States, as well as its main allies, have supported Ukraine financially and with arms shipments.
Russia has warned that the supply of arms to Ukraine represents an escalation of the conflict that could lead the country to feel in danger and have to defend itself by all means, including nuclear weapons.
In a letter released last week, the heads of several US congressional committees said Russia’s actions and statements “raise, at the very least, serious concerns about its compliance with New Start.”
Signed in 2010, the treaty limits the two countries’ arsenals to a maximum of 1,550 warheads held by each party, a reduction of around 30% compared to the previous limit set in 2002.
It also sets the maximum number of launch pads and heavy bombers to 800.
Shortly after his election in January 2021, US President Joe Biden extended the treaty for five years, until 2026.
Source: TSF
