Russian Ambassador to Washington Anatoly Antonov held a series of meetings with representatives of the US State Department, briefing on Monday, March 6, the press secretary of the department, Ned Price.
“Without going into details, I can say that Ambassador Antonov had a number of contacts, including personal ones. Recently, with relevant State Department officials,” he said.
The Russian diplomatic mission has not yet commented on Price’s statement.
On March 1, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov announced that Russia and the United States were discussing the Treaty on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms (START) through closed channels.
On February 28, Ambassador Antonov stated that Russia would return to full compliance with the provisions of the Russian-American START only on the condition that the United States reconsider its anti-Russian policy.
On Feb. 23, Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said that channels of communication with Moscow remain open and, if necessary, are used to inform the Russian side of important events.
On the same day, the press secretary of the Russian leader, Dmitry Peskov, said that a hotline for communication between the Kremlin and the White House, created after the Caribbean crisis, exists. At the same time, Russian President Vladimir Putin and American leader Joe Biden have not yet used it.
Putin, in a message to the Federal Assembly, announced that Russia was suspending its participation in the New START Treaty. Moscow does not withdraw from the treaty, namely, it suspends participation in it, the Russian leader stressed. At the same time, it is the President of Russia who is authorized to decide on the resumption of the country’s participation in START, START-3, in accordance with the relevant bill. Its Russian leader introduced it to the State Duma on Tuesday, February 21.
