Beijing, China. Russia is ready for a new reality in which there are no nuclear arms control limits after the New START treaty expires later this week, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Tuesday. The treaty will expire on Feb. 5 unless Moscow and Washington reach a last-minute bilateral understanding.
New START expiry and Russian position
Ryabkov, Russia’s point man for arms control, was quoted by state news agency TASS as saying in Beijing that the absence of a response from Washington to Russian proposals to extend the limits of New START amounted to an answer. He said Russia was prepared for the world’s two largest nuclear powers to have no limits for the first time in decades.
Comments on China
Ryabkov said Russia supported China’s position on arms control.
Iran and U.S. proposals
On Iran, he said the United States’ proposals to Iran were tantamount to ultimatums.
Greenland missile defence remarks
Ryabkov said that if the United States deployed large numbers of missile defence systems on Greenland, Russia would have to take compensatory measures in its military sphere.
What impact do you think the expiry of New START will have on nuclear arms control between Russia and the United States?