NATO will closely monitor Russia’s actions after the suspension of its participation in the Offensive Arms Reduction Treaty (START). This was stated by Secretary General of the North Atlantic Alliance Jens Stoltenberg in an interview Bloomberg TV, published on Thursday, February 23.
“NATO will closely monitor what Russia is doing with its nuclear weapons,” the TV channel, which interviewed the Secretary General, reports.
In addition, Stoltenberg called for transparent arms control. According to him, the bloc is taking the necessary measures to ensure reliable deterrence.
On February 21, during his address to the Federal Assembly, Vladimir Putin announced the suspension of participation in the New START Treaty. He stressed that this is precisely the suspension, and not the withdrawal from the treaty. At the same time, the head of state said that before returning to the discussion of START, the country must understand how to take into account the nuclear arsenals of France and Great Britain.
On the same day, the head of state submitted a draft law on this to the State Duma, which was adopted on Wednesday. Then the document was unanimously adopted by the Federation Council.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said that the development of the situation with Russia’s suspension of START depends entirely 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.
On Feb. 23, former US Marine Corps officer Scott Ritter said Putin had formalized what had been happening since late November last year with START. He also stressed that Russia will not resume its participation in the treaty until the United States changes its policy. According to Ritter, a new milestone will begin in relations between the United States and Russia if Washington assumes the role of a responsible partner. Otherwise, there can be no talk of arms control.
The agreement between the Russian Federation 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.
