Russia told the United States on Monday that the last remaining pillar of bilateral nuclear arms control could expire in 2026 without a replacement due to what it said were US efforts to inflict a “strategic defeat” on Moscow in Ukraine.
Both Russia and the United States still have vast arsenals of nuclear weapons that are currently partially limited by the 2011 New START Treaty, which in 2021 was extended to 2026.
However, what comes after February 4, 2026 is unclear, although Washington has indicated that it wants to reach a follow-on agreement with Russia.
Read also | Russian official rules out talks with Ukraine or the West
Asked whether Moscow might contemplate no nuclear arms control treaty after 2026, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told the new state news agency RIA: “This is quite a possible scenario.”
Ryabkov, Russia’s top arms control diplomat, said the United States had in recent years ignored Russia’s interests and dismantled most of the arms control architecture.
“The new START may well fall victim to this,” Ryabkov told RIA. “We are ready for such a scenario.”
His comments are a warning to Washington that its continued military support for Ukraine could upend the last major post-Cold War bilateral arms control treaty with Russia.
The United States has provided more than $27 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since Russia invaded the country on February 24, including more than 1,600 Stinger anti-aircraft rocket systems, 8,500 Javelin anti-tank missile systems, and more than 1 million missiles. 155mm artillery.
“The entire situation in the security sphere, including arms control, has been held hostage by the American line of inflicting a strategic defeat on Russia,” Ryabkov said.
“We will resist this in the strongest possible way using all the methods and means at our disposal.”
nuclear controls
Talks between the United States and Russia on resuming inspections under the New START treaty were called off at the last minute in November 2022. The parties have not agreed on a time frame for further talks.
Russia and the United States, which were constrained during the Cold War by a tangle of arms control agreements, still together account for about 90% of the world’s nuclear warheads.
The United States said in its 2022 Nuclear Posture Review that Russia and China were expanding and modernizing their nuclear forces, and that Washington would follow an arms-control approach to avoid costly arms races.
The New START Treaty limited both sides to 1,550 warheads on deployed ICBMs, ballistic submarines, and heavy bombers. Both sides met the core limits for 2018.
“The expiration of the Treaty without a follow-up agreement would leave Russia free to expand strategic nuclear forces that are now restricted, as well as new regional and intercontinental systems that are not currently limited by the Treaty,” according to US Nuclear. Posture review.
“Russia is seeking several novel nuclear-capable systems designed to put the US homeland or allies and partners at risk, some of which are also not liable under New START.”
