Both the United States and Russia are seeking to resolve the New START nuclear treaty issue diplomatically. The now-expired nuclear reduction deal is getting a new boost, and it’s happening alongside peace talks.
Moscow and Washington are working on a deal to continue the New START nuclear reduction treaty, Axios reported on Thursday, citing three sources familiar with the issue. The Strategic Arms Control Agreement officially expired on February 5. Not only are the two nuclear superpowers working to generate another treaty, but both have also agreed to continue to follow the current treaty even after its expiration.
According to a report by RT, the treaty expiration was reportedly discussed on the sidelines of the Ukraine peace talks in Abu Dhabi.
According to the Axios report, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and special envoy Steve Witkoff discussed the issue with the Russian delegation on the sidelines of the Ukraine peace talks in Abu Dhabi. “We agreed with Russia to operate in good faith and to start a discussion about ways it could be updated,” a US official told the media outlet. Another source claimed that the sides had agreed to observe the treaty’s terms for at least six months as the talks on a potential new deal would be ongoing.
Earlier on Thursday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Moscow would stick to the treaty’s provisions for another year, but that Russia’s initiative “remained unanswered.” Russia will “keep its responsible attentive approach in the field of strategic stability [and] nuclear weapons” but will always be “primarily guided by its national interests,” he said.
Putin Suspends Nuclear Treaty & Puts Missiles On “Combat Duty”
United States President Donald Trump originally rejected a proposal from Russian President Vladimir Putin that would extend the treaty for one more year. Trump’s rejection was due to a desire to enhance the treaty, bringing China into the fold. However, China does not appear to be interested in the pact.
Peskov stated that Beijing won’t be joining the talks on a new treaty because it would be “pointless” since its nuclear arsenal is incompatible with that of Russia and the U.S. While Russia is okay with this decision, the U.S. ruling class may not be.
“We respect this position,” the Kremlin spokesman said.