A senior official of the White House He offered on Friday to maintain current limits on nuclear weapons stocks with Russia, and advocated putting China at the center of future arms control efforts.
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National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan made the comments in a speech at the National Gun Control Association annual meeting in Washington, while describing the Joe Biden administration’s attempt to address what it called “substantial” and “deep” cracks in the post-Cold War nuclear landscape.
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With the last US-Russia arms control treaty, New Start, nearing its expiration in 2026, Sullivan said the US is eager to forge a new treaty.
Meanwhile, however, Washington wants the world’s two major nuclear powers to adhere to the core of the treaty: a limit for both of 1,550 warheads..
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“We are prepared to stick to the core limits as long as Russia does the same,” Sullivan said.
We are willing to stick to the core limits as long as Russia does the same.
He also called on Moscow to start new talks for a post-2026 framework.
He added: “Instead of waiting to resolve all of our bilateral differences, the United States is willing to engage Russia now to manage nuclear risks.”
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Unlike the Cold War, when there were only two global nuclear powers, the future of arms control will revolve around China’s rapidly expanding arsenal and global presence, Sullivan said.
“By 2035, (China) is on track to have up to 1,500 nuclear warheads, one of the largest peacetime nuclear developments in history,” Sullivan said, meaning “the United States will have to deter two nearby nuclear powers by first time in its history.”
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“We are also ready to engage with China without preconditions”said.
A senior US official told reporters that the China factor not only implies the need for Washington to deal with the threat directly, but also to consider the ripple effects created for the nuclear allies of the United States, Britain and France, whose own smaller arsenals are largely aimed at countering Russia.
Deals with China “will of course affect our ability to reach some sort of deal with the Russians,” the official said.
AFP
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