Ryabkov called the probability of a nuclear conflict the highest in recent decades

The likelihood of a nuclear conflict today has become the highest in recent decades, Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Sergei Ryabkov said during the discussion “A World Without START: What’s Next?” at the site of the Valdai International Discussion Club.

“I would not like to dive into the discussion of whether the probability of a nuclear conflict is high today, but it is in any case higher than anything that we have had over the past decades, let’s put it this way,” leads his words TASS.

Russia, according to Ryabkov, remains committed to the idea that the world should be safe and free from the nuclear threat.

At the same time, Moscow and Washington now have no points of contact on the subject of START, he added. According to the diplomat, Russia will be able to return to discussions with the United States on returning to START only after Washington changes its hostile policy in general.

“They have to somehow come to their senses and shake things up, throw off the blinders and perceive reality as it is. They continue to play with fire in the truest sense of the word,” he said (quote according to RIA Novosti).

On February 28, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law suspending Russia’s participation in the Treaty on the Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms (START, START-III). It followed from the document that the decision to resume the country’s participation in this treaty is made by the head of state. Putin announced the suspension of Russia’s participation in START on February 21 during his address to the Federal Assembly.

The press secretary of the Russian president, Dmitry Peskov, noted that Russia is not leaving START, this is a suspension. According to him, Russia’s goal is to make sure that nuclear parity is observed, taking into account the arsenals of France and Great Britain, which are not included in the perimeter of the agreement.

START III was concluded in 2010 for 10 years, it was extended for another five years in 2021 with the coming to power of the administration of US President Joe Biden. It is now the last arms control treaty between Russia and the United States in force.