Radio Cadena Agramonte emisiora de Camagüey
Moscow, Feb 3 – The initiative of Russian President Vladimir Putin to extend the restrictions stipulated in the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, also known as START III or New START, remains in force. However, Moscow has yet to receive a response from Washington on the matter, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated this Tuesday.
“The Russian initiative, presented by President Putin, remains on the table. We have still not received an American response to this initiative,” he stated. Given that the treaty expires on February 5, “in a few days, the world will likely be left in a more dangerous situation than before,” he warned.
“For the first time, the United States and the Russian Federation—the two countries with the largest nuclear arsenals in the world—will be left without a fundamental document limiting and controlling these arsenals. We believe this is very wrong,” he concluded.
START III was signed on April 8, 2010, by the then presidents of Russia, Dmitry Medvedev, and the United States, Barack Obama, and was extended unconditionally for five years in February 2021. The treaty’s validity expires this Thursday, February 5.
Under the agreement, the parties committed to reducing their active nuclear forces to 700 delivery vehicles, 1,550 nuclear warheads, and 800 launchers.
Moscow suspended its participation in the pact in February 2023, on the grounds that Washington “destroyed the legal foundation in arms control and security” by activating NATO’s military infrastructure against Russia. At the same time, Russia has always stated its intention to comply with the agreed restrictions within the treaty’s validity period.
Last September, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that Moscow is willing to continue adhering to the treaty for one more year after its expiration, if the United States takes a similar measure.
When commenting on the Russian initiative, U.S. leader Donald Trump initially described it as a good idea. However, he has subsequently shown no concern about the possible expiration of the treaty. (Text and photo: RT)
