February 22, 2023, 14:29 – BLiTZ – News
Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Sergei Ryabkov, during a speech at a joint meeting of the committees on international affairs and on defense and security of the Federation Council, stated that it was impossible to include the arsenals of Great Britain and France in the current Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START). It is reported by TASS.
Ryabkov emphasized that the issue of the need to take into account the potentials of these two countries in the process of discussing further prospects for arms control was raised more than once.
“It will not work from any point of view to enter the potentials of Great Britain and France into the current, but suspended by us Treaty. This will change the essence of the Treaty, ”the news agency quoted Ryabkov as saying.
At the same time, the Deputy Minister focused on the fact that in the future, against the backdrop of an improvement in the international situation, both Britain and France will need to be involved in the direct participation in arms control negotiations.
Earlier it was reported that academician Alexei Arbatov predicted the US withdrawal from the Strategic Offensive Arms Treaty after Russian President Vladimir Putin’s statement about the suspension of Russia’s participation in it.
The scientist recalled that earlier Moscow had already stopped the exchange of inspections, which are part of the START verification system.
Read more in the BLiTZ article.
