State Department: US through non-public communication channels trying to find out Russia’s attitude to START

The United States is using non-public channels to discuss with Russia the future of the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), said relevant Assistant Secretary of State Mallory Stewart.

“We are actually trying to interact with Russia behind the scenes to understand what they think about this and what they need,” she said (quote according to RIA Novosti). According to her, the United States did not receive official notification from the Russian side about the suspension of participation in the treaty.

On February 21, during his address to the Federal Assembly, President Vladimir Putin announced Russia’s unilateral suspension of participation in START III. According to him, Russia does not break the agreement and is ready to return to it, provided that the nuclear potential of France and Great Britain, members of NATO, is taken into account. In addition, Moscow may return to the practice of testing nuclear weapons, which was suspended 32 years ago, if the United States resumes them (it has not been conducted since 1992).

START was concluded in 2011 and extended in January 2021 for five years until 2026. It provides for a limit of 700 deployed carriers of strategic nuclear forces, and 1,500 warheads for them.

Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted that Russia had suspended participation in START-3 to ensure that nuclear parity was observed. He also stressed that Moscow is not leaving START, but is suspending participation in it.