On Friday, NATO expressed concern over Russia’s non-compliance with the latest US-Russian nuclear arms control treaty in force.
Earlier, amid rising tensions over the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine, NATO’s major power accused Russia of failing to fulfill its obligations under the START-3 treaty, concluded a while ago. ten years.
On Tuesday, Washington criticized Moscow for suspending inspections under the deal and calling off talks, but did not accuse the former Cold War adversary of expanding its arsenal of nuclear warheads beyond the agreed limits.
“NATO allies agree that the New START treaty promotes international stability by deterring strategic nuclear forces from Russia and the United States,” the 30-member North Atlantic Alliance said in a statement. . “Therefore, we note with concern that Russia has not fulfilled its legal obligations under the New START Treaty.”
NATO member states said they “call on Russia to fulfill its obligations” by allowing inspections and resuming negotiations.
Moscow responded by accusing Washington of undermining arms control agreements between the countries.
Diplomacy between the two countries has stalled over the past year as the United States leads a campaign to impose sanctions on Russia and supply aggrieved Ukraine with billions of dollars worth of weapons.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued thinly veiled threats to use nuclear weapons, reigniting Cold War fears.
In early August, Moscow announced that it was suspending US inspections of its military facilities under the START-3 treaty. According to her, this was done in response to American obstruction of Russian inspections, which is denied by Washington.
The Kremlin then postponed indefinitely the New START talks which were due to begin on November 29 in Cairo, accusing the United States of being “toxic and hostile”.
New START, signed by President Barack Obama in 2010, at a time of warmer relations between the two countries, limits Russia and the United States to a maximum of 1,550 deployed strategic nuclear warheads on either side, or nearly 30% less than the previous one. in 2002. limit.
It also limits the number of deployed and undeployed land launchers, submarines and heavy bombers to 800 units. However, even in such volumes, nuclear weapons are enough to destroy human civilization on the planet.
