The State Department called Russian claims on START easily eliminated

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The United States continues to adhere to its obligations under the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), and all claims in this area are easily eliminated. This was announced on February 27 by profile Assistant Secretary of State Mallory Stewart, speaking at the Brookings think tank.

“The United States continues to fully adhere to START-3,” she said, adding that Russia’s claims are unfounded and that Moscow could send inspectors to American facilities to confirm this.

“The good news is that these are literally all fixable problems if Moscow decides to return to the benefits of transparency and stability,” Stewart added.

On February 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the suspension of participation in the New START during his address to the Federal Assembly. On the same day, the head of state submitted a draft law on this to the State Duma and the deputies adopted it. Then the document was unanimously approved by the Federation Council.

In turn, the head of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service, Sergei Naryshkin, said that the suspension by the Russian Federation of participation in the START was a logical and correct step. He added that this decision came as a surprise to the West.

Russia’s permanent representative to international organizations in Vienna, Mikhail Ulyanov, in an interview with Izvestia, called the suspension of participation in the START a forced and inevitable step.

At the same time, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said that the development of the situation with the suspension of the START Treaty by Russia completely depends on the United States. He also suggested that the American side may withdraw from the treaty, but it is not easy to predict its further steps.

The agreement between Russia and the United States on measures to reduce and limit strategic offensive arms was signed on April 8, 2010 in Prague. The document replaced the 1991 START Treaty. Upon entry into force, it also replaced the 2002 Strategic Offensive Reductions Treaty.

This START agreement was worked out on a parity basis in accordance with the principle of equal and indivisible security and provided for real, verifiable and irreversible reductions in strategic offensive arms.

In February 2021, Putin and US President Joe Biden, during a personal meeting, extended the agreement for five years.

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