“Russia is not meeting its obligation to facilitate inspections on its territory,” a foreign ministry spokesman said.
The US today accused Russia that does not comply with the New START treaty (New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) as it suspended inspections and canceled talks under the agreement between them.
The State Department, however, stopped short of accusing Moscow of increasing its nuclear arsenal beyond the agreed limit.
Republicans, who control the House of Representatives, have asked US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken to report to them by Tuesday whether Russia is violating the treaty.
“Russia is not meeting its obligation to facilitate inspections on its territory,” a foreign ministry spokesman said.
Under the New START treaty – the only remaining agreement governing the world’s two largest nuclear arsenals – Washington and Moscow are allowed to conduct inspections of each other’s weapons facilities, but due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the inspections have been discontinued since 2020.
Last year, Moscow announced it was postponing a planned November meeting between Russians and Americans on these inspections, accusing Washington of “hostility” and “toxicity.” This advisory committee last met in October 2021.
The treaty places limits on the number of deployed intercontinental range nuclear weapons that both the US and Russia can possess. It was last extended in early 2021 for five years, meaning the two sides will soon need to start negotiations on a new arms control deal. But on Monday, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said the last remaining element of the bilateral nuclear arms control treaty with the United States would expire in three years and might not be replaced by a new one.
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