Kremlin says US must consider all western nuclear stockpiles, not just China
World
Kremlin says any new US-led arms control deal must consider all Western nuclear stockpiles, including Britain and France, not just China, as New START nears expiry.
MOSCOW (Shahid Ghuman) - The Kremlin has said that if the United States wants a new treaty on strategic arms restrictions, it must take into account not only China but also the nuclear stockpiles of the entire West, including Britain and France.
Speaking at a briefing in Moscow, Russian presidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that despite Washington’s desire to include China in any future agreement, Russia respects Beijing’s position, as China does not see the need to join such a treaty.
Peskov reiterated that President Vladimir Putin has already stated that it would be impossible to ignore the nuclear arsenals of Britain and France in any future negotiations on strategic stability. He added that attempts to separate Western nuclear powers and exert pressure solely on China are unrealistic.
Meanwhile, Russia’s newly appointed permanent representative to the OSCE, Dmitry Polyanskiy, expressed hope that the United States would respond positively to Russia’s proposal that both sides voluntarily continue to observe arms limits even after the expiration of the New START treaty.
US President Donald Trump recently said that if New START expires, the United States would negotiate an even better agreement. His remarks have raised fresh questions globally about the future of strategic stability.
The New START treaty remains the last active arms control agreement between Russia and the United States, limiting the number of their strategic nuclear weapons.
