Russia may end nuclear arms control treaty with US, official says

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – In an apparent warning to the Biden administration over US military support for Ukraine, Russia’s deputy foreign minister has announced Moscow may not renew the post-Cold War New START nuclear arms control treaty with the United States after its expiry in 2026, Reuters reports.

New Start is the only major nuclear arms control agreement between the US and Russia. The treaty restricts the number of nuclear arsenals available to each country to 800 delivery systems and 1,550 operational warheads each. The agreement provides for inspections for compliance, but these were blocked following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February last year.

During an interview with the RIA news agency that was published Monday, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said it is “quite possible” that Russia would end the arms control treaty.

“This is quite a possible scenario,” Ryabkov said. “New START may well fall victim to this. We are ready for such a scenario. The entire situation in the sphere of security, including arms control, has been held hostage by the US line of inflicting strategic defeat on Russia. We will resist this in the strongest possible way using all the methods and means at our disposal,” Ryabkov added.

The US and Russia were scheduled to resume talks on inspections in accordance with the New START treaty, but these were canceled abruptly in November 2022, Reuters said. No time frame has been agreed for new talks. 

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