Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated that Washington did not approach Moscow to resume talks on a new strategic nuclear arms reduction treaty to replace the so-called 2011 “New START” deal.
“It has become their habit to announce things over the microphone and then forget about them,” Lavrov said. “There have been no approaches to us to restart the negotiation process.”
On his part, U.S. President Joe Biden affirmed that he was ready to “expeditiously negotiate a new arms control framework” to replace New START when it expires in 2026.
In the same vein, Russian leader Vladimir Putin stressed that there can be no winners in a nuclear war and such a war should never be started, according to a statement released by the Kremlin.
“As a state party to the Non-Proliferation Treaty and one of its depositaries, Russia is consistently complying with the letter and the spirit of the Treaty,” Putin indicated.
He added: “We proceed from the fact that there can be no winners in a nuclear war and it should never be unleashed, and we stand for equal and indivisible security for all members of the world community.”
