... result, the New START was deprived of the main elements of compliance verification and the mechanism of conflict resolution.
Amid this situation, the denunciatory voices of American lawmakers and hawks from other spheres were getting ever louder about Russia’s violation of the New START. After these steps had been taken, declaring a withdrawal from the treaty would seem a logical step to secure and legitimize the de-facto state of things. But the Russian authorities chose not to burn all boats and—instead of withdrawing from ...
... working group on strategic stability issues of the Euro-Atlantic Security Leadership Group (EASLG) took place.
The discussion focused on the following issues: prospects for strengthening strategic stability, taking into account the recent extension of Russia-the U.S. New START Treaty, non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, new confidence-building measures in the nuclear field, and possible measures to limit the qualitative arms race. On the Russian side, the discussion was attended by Yevgeny Buzhinsky, RIAC Vice President,...
... American—should realize this.
While there is no quick fix—nor can there be one—the opportunity to change the general course of U.S.–Russia relations is there. What we need is a dialogue—at least on those issues where we can come to some kind of agreement. ... ... agreements no doubt meet the long-term interests of both countries.
Arms control
First, there is arms control. Extending the New START Treaty without any additional conditions meets the security interests of both sides. All that is needed for this is ...
... relations with Russia soured and then further escalated with intelligence reports pointing to Russia as culprit for cyber intrusions, Russia’s renewed and expansive foreign policy, and with the Magnitsky Act. Nevertheless, Mr. Obama
was able to sign
New START with then-President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev.
On the other hand, nearly the same story can be said of the Trump administration. While Trump
voiced
both on the campaign trail and in the early days of his presidency that he sought to improve relations with Russia,...
... non-proliferation. One of the critical reasons for having this conversation again is the need to consider the principle, recent political development—the results of the U.S. election.
The interview's key topic is what Joe Biden’s presidency means for Russia–U.S. relations and what factors may hinder a compromise in the nuclear sphere?
Mr. Arbatov, a year ago, we talked about the possibility of extending the New START Treaty and that the United States might withdraw from it. Now, with Biden’s victory, what can be said about the prospects for this document?
Aleksey Arbatov:
Talks on a Future START Should Have Been Launched Yesterday
The Treaty will most ...
... and dangerous international situation would certainly have a positive significance. Another proposal involves prolonging the New START immediately and without any pre-conditions, while simultaneously launching intensive consultations on a broad range ... ... American counterparts and which, in my opinion, is still relevant today. Given today’s geopolitical confrontation between Russia and the United States, the two sides focus primarily on security issues, and for obvious reasons. At the same time, an ...
... pointing to its perceived weaknesses as being “
loopholes that the Russians have been exploiting
”. The latter view is contradictory in itself, as Gottemoeller
confirms
, when considering the State Department’s annual compliance report that affirms Russia’s full compliance with the New START.
Even if that were the case, the demise of the treaty would entail a situation where both would have to increase spending by obtaining that information through NTM (National Technical Means). Without this understanding about the other side’s ...
... speed of advances in new technology and weapons demands that strategic stability be sought inclusively by countries beyond Russia and the United States.
Nations in the Euro-Atlantic region have a shared interest in the full implementation of the U.S.-Russian 2010 New START Treaty with its limits and verification, and the mutual extension of that Treaty through 2026—with the possibility of new agreements and a future work plan that would make extension even more relevant going forward. It is critical that the ...
... unexpected drop in global oil prices, which triggered the global recession, exacerbated US-China differences and, finally, the coronavirus pandemic came as more significant political developments than the termination of the INF Treaty or the prospect of the New START expiring without being renewed. Over the past year, the leaders’ priorities in the United States and Russia have been increasingly shifting towards domestic problems and challenges. The lacklustre demise of the INF Treaty was increasingly perceived not as a tragic failure of a well-functioning system, but as an historical inevitability and another chapter ...
... withdrawal from the Intermediate Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) in 2019 — a lot of ground has been lost, making the United States less secure and the world more vulnerable to the threat of nuclear war.
In 2021, the limits on nuclear weapons set by the New START treaty — the only remaining nuclear arms reduction pact between Russia and the United States — are set to expire. The United States should begin negotiating immediately to extend the New START treaty, to reduce the risk of war and prevent a nuclear arms race from happening.
President Putin has already
offered to ...
