Russia has pledged to continue to respect the limits imposed on its nuclear arsenal by the New START treaty, despite the decision to suspend this important Russian-US disarmament deal announced by President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday.
“Russia intends to maintain a responsible approach and will continue to strictly observe the quantitative limits of strategic offensive weapons throughout the term of the treaty,” the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement.
Putin announced on this day the suspension of Russia’s participation in the New START treaty, the last bilateral nuclear disarmament agreement between Moscow and Washington, which had been extended until February 5, 2026.
The Russian ministry justified this decision with the “destructive actions of the United States”, which it accused of multiple violations of the text signed in 2010, which “jeopardize its operation”.
On the one hand, Moscow said, Washington’s “extreme hostility” and its “open commitment to a vicious escalation of the conflict in Ukraine” had created a “fundamentally different security environment” for Russia.
“The United States and the West it leads are trying to harm our country at all levels, in all areas and in all regions of the world,” Russian diplomacy said, arguing that the “status quo is no longer possible is”.
On the other hand, Russia believes that the arsenals of NATO’s three nuclear powers – the United States, France and the United Kingdom – “should be combined and considered together in the process of mitigation and reduction”, while New START only take care of Moscow and Washington.
Finally, Russia claims that the fact that the United States is developing anti-missile defense systems capable of intercepting Russian nuclear warheads renders New START ineffective.
It also accuses Washington of “violating” the text by “renaming more than 100 strategic offensive weapons of the United States so that they no longer fall under the terms of the treaty, or by declaring them converted without giving Russia a chance.” to verify them”.
According to Russian diplomacy, Moscow could lift New START’s suspension if Washington shows “good faith” toward a “comprehensive de-escalation.”
Russia had already announced in early August that it would suspend planned inspections of its military sites.
The New START treaty, signed in 2010 by President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, imposes an arsenal limit on each country of 1,550 nuclear warheads and 700 missiles and bombers. The agreement provides for inspections at certain locations to demonstrate compliance.
Just days before the treaty expires in February 2021, Russia and the United States agreed to extend it for another five years.
Source: DN
