Russia won’t rejoin nuclear treaty unless US changes Ukraine stance

Russia won’t rejoin nuclear treaty unless US changes Ukraine stance

President Vladimir Putin last week announced that Moscow was suspending its participation.

The treaty was signed in 2010 to limit the number of warheads each side can deploy. (AP pic)
MOSCOW:
Russian deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov said today that Moscow would not review its suspension of the New START nuclear arms treaty with the US until the US changed its policy on Ukraine, Interfax reported.

President Vladimir Putin last week announced that Moscow was suspending its participation in the deal, accusing the US of trying to inflict a “strategic defeat” on Russia in Ukraine.

He signed the suspension into law on Tuesday.

Interfax cited Ryabkov as saying: “Until the US changes its behaviour, until we see signs of common sense in what they are doing in relation to Ukraine … we see no chance for the decision to suspend New START to be reviewed or re-examined”.

The treaty was signed in 2010 by then-presidents Dmitry Medvedev and Barack Obama to limit the number of strategic nuclear warheads each side can deploy.

It was underpinned by a system of mutual inspections and exchanges of data.

The agreement – the latest in a series dating back more than half a century that halted the Cold War arms race between Washington and Moscow – is due to expire in 2026.

Military analysts say its collapse, or a failure to renew it, would increase nuclear risk at a time of heightened confrontation over the conflict in Ukraine.

Ryabkov said the two countries continued to discuss issues around the treaty via “closed channels”, Interfax said.

It quoted him as saying that Russia was willing to communicate and exchange information with Washington on New START as needed, but did see any requirement for a regular dialogue at the moment.

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