The United States is ready to promptly discuss with Russia a new arms control system that could replace the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START-3), which expires in 2026. This was announced on August 1 by the President of the United States, Joe Biden.
As the American leader noted, the US and the USSR, even during the Cold War, could work together to ensure strategic stability.
“Russia must demonstrate that it is ready to resume work with the United States on nuclear arms control,” Biden said in a statement on website White House.
With a new proposal, the US President made on the eve of the review conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).
On July 20, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev expressed the opinion that now is not the right time for new negotiations on the Strategic Offensive Arms Treaty (START). He added that Washington should really assess the need for a strategic arms dialogue and ask Moscow for it.
On June 16, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Moscow and Washington needed to discuss the extension of the START treaty yesterday, this topic is important not only for the Russian Federation and the United States, but for the whole world.
On June 2, US Assistant Secretary of State Mallory Stewart said at a scientific conference in Washington that the United States is interested in maintaining restrictions on Russia’s nuclear arsenal under the bilateral START-3 treaty, which spells out measures to reduce and limit strategic offensive weapons. She also indicated that the White House is ready to resume dialogue with Russia on strategic stability, but this depends on the position of the Kremlin.
Contacts between the Russian Federation and the United States on nuclear issues ceased after the announcement by Russian President Vladimir Putin of a special operation to protect the civilian population of Donbass on February 24.
The START-3 Treaty was signed by the countries in 2010. In early 2021, Russia and the United States agreed to extend the treaty until February 5, 2026. The agreement provides for the reduction by each of the parties of deployed nuclear warheads to 1,500, and intercontinental ballistic missiles, ballistic missiles of submarines and strategic missile-carrying bombers to 700.
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