The proposal of Republican senators to withdraw from the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) is an element of the partisan struggle in the United States. This was announced on Monday, May 22, by Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov.
“I think this is part of the ongoing bipartisan struggle in the US. By and large, what decisions will be made on START today is an internal affair of the United States itself, ”Ryabkov told reporters.
He noted that Moscow has suspended the treaty, but at the same time continues to voluntarily adhere to its main quantitative restrictions on warheads and carriers.
“Washington’s hypothetical withdrawal from this treaty will not affect our current position. As for certain actions that we can and must take to ensure our own security, this is already being done, ”added the deputy head of the Russian Foreign Ministry.
According to him, at the moment there are no contacts between the Russian Federation and the United States on START.
“Periodically, there are signals in the mode of nominating American representatives at various forums. We fix all this, ”Ryabkov said.
A group of Republican senators submitted a bill to the US Congress to withdraw from the START and strengthen nuclear forces earlier, on May 18. According to the draft, it is proposed to include all types of nuclear weapons in future arms control agreements. At the same time, their action should also extend to the PRC.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on May 19 that the situation with arms control is very sad, the responsibility for this lies with Washington. In his opinion, the last remnants of the international legal framework in this area are “slipping out from under our feet.”
On April 25, Director of the Department for Non-Proliferation and Arms Control of the Russian Foreign Ministry Vladimir Yermakov called it impossible at this stage to develop a document capable of replacing START after its expiration date in February 2026. He noted that arms control is inseparable from the general geopolitical and military-strategic situation.
Prior to this, on April 24, Yermakov also called on the United States to take concrete steps to de-escalate and completely abandon the hostile line of undermining Russia’s security.
On February 21, in a message to the Federal Assembly, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced Moscow’s unilateral suspension of participation in START-3 (START). The President called this decision forced, as nuclear countries continue to develop their weapons and demand access to Russian nuclear facilities.
In accordance with the Strategic Offensive Arms Treaty, which Moscow and Washington concluded in 2010, countries are required to exchange comprehensive databases on the status of warheads twice a year. However, at the end of March, US Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy John Plum said that Washington, in response to a similar decision by Russia, would no longer transfer key data on its strategic nuclear forces to Moscow.
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