US condemns Russian withdrawal from nuclear weapons treaty

A apical U.S. arms power charismatic connected Monday sharply criticized Russia for suspending its information successful nan past remaining atomic weapons treaty, but said Washington will effort to activity pinch Moscow to proceed its implementation.

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced past week that nan state would suspend information successful nan New START pact which obligated some Russia and nan U.S. to perpetrate to regular communications connected nan position of their atomic arsenals, let regular on-site inspections and abide by caps connected nan number of deployed and non-deployed warheads of each side.

"Russia is erstwhile again showing nan world that it is not a responsible atomic power," Bonnie Jenkins, nan U.S. undersecretary of authorities for arms control, said astatine a convention of nan Conference connected Disarmament, a United Nations-affiliated world forum.

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Russia is not withdrawing from nan treaty, which is successful unit until 2026, but Putin said Russia cannot judge U.S. inspections of its atomic sites while Washington and its NATO friends activity Russia’s conclusion successful Ukraine. The Russian Foreign Ministry said nan state would respect nan treaty’s caps connected atomic weapons and proceed notifying nan U.S. astir trial launches of ballistic missiles.

The inspections person been dormant since 2020 because of nan COVID-19 pandemic. Discussions connected resuming them were expected to person taken spot past November, but Russia abruptly called them off.

A apical arms power charismatic issued a crisp rebuke of Russia's withdrawal from nan New START treaty.

Jenkins later told reporters that nan U.S. has not afloat assessed nan consequences of Russia's suspension move, but said "we're not seeing immoderate grounds that Russia is successful noncompliance."

"We stay fresh to activity assertively pinch Russia to afloat instrumentality nan New START treaty, continued implementation of nan pact based connected nan champion interests of some parties," she said.

RUSSIA SUSPENDS PARTICIPATION IN NEW START NUCLEAR TREATY WITH US, PUTIN SAYS

Putin's announcement of suspending information came conscionable earlier nan first day of Russia sending troops into Ukraine. Putin has many times formed nan conflict arsenic basal to combat alleged Western intends to weaken Russia and has warned of an expanding threat of atomic war.

Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev, now lawman caput of nan nationalist information council, said past week that "If nan U.S. wants Russia’s defeat, we person nan correct to take sides ourselves pinch immoderate weapons, including nuclear."

"Russia must extremity this warfare and must cease its irresponsible atomic rhetoric," Jenkins said.

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French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna besides harshly criticized Russia's New START suspension astatine nan Geneva convention arsenic "added impervious — if immoderate was needed — of nan vulnerable impasse that Russia is sealing itself into."