Russia handed an official note to the United States on Tuesday on the suspension of Moscow’s participation in the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told Russian state media RIA Novosti on Wednesday.
The note did state that Russia will continue to observe the treaty’s central provisions, which include restrictions on the number of relevant systems, said Ryabkov, as quoted by RIA.
“We are ready to discuss any issues that are of interest to [America], on the understanding that there will be no revision of the decision to suspend the START, at least until the American colleagues show their readiness to abandon their hostile course towards Russia – primarily in relation to what is happening in Ukraine and around it,” he added according to RIA Novosti.
Remember: On Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law suspending Russia’s participation in START, imperiling the last remaining pact that regulates the world’s two largest nuclear arsenals.
The treaty puts limits on the number of deployed intercontinental-range nuclear weapons that both the US and Russia can have. It was last extended in early 2021 for five years, meaning the two sides would soon need to begin negotiating on another arms control agreement.
The treaty was already essentially paused since Russia had recently refused to open up its arsenal to inspectors.
