US to adhere to major nuclear arms control agreement
The New START Treaty, signed by Washington and Moscow in 2011, is the final agreement of its nature and is scheduled to expire in February 2026. Read Full Article at RT.com.
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The New START Treaty, signed by Washington and Moscow in 2011, represents the final agreement of its kind currently in effect, with its expiration set for February 2026. According to a recent Pentagon report, the United States will adhere to the "central limits" placed on its nuclear arsenal by this treaty, provided that Russia does the same. The report emphasizes the necessity for the U.S. to be prepared to deter multiple adversaries concurrently.
The U.S. and Russia maintain the largest nuclear arsenals globally, with approximately 5,000 and 5,500 warheads, respectively. On Thursday, the U.S. Department of Defense delivered its 491 Report to Congress, detailing the nation’s nuclear weapons employment strategy. This report, which heavily relies on President Joe Biden’s nuclear employment guidance from earlier this year, identifies Russia as an “acute threat with its large, modern, and diversified nuclear arsenal.” It also highlights that China and North Korea are rapidly expanding their nuclear capabilities.
The report suggests there is “growing collaboration and collusion between” Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran, leading Washington to prepare for a situation where it may need to deter multiple adversaries simultaneously. Additionally, it recognizes the continuing significance of arms control in maintaining strategic security.
“The United States will abide by the central limits of the New START Treaty for the duration of the Treaty as long as it assesses that Russia continues to do so,” the document states. It further mentions that any future “arrangements with Russia, for example, will need to account for U.S. deterrence requirements and other strategic threats globally.”
Last month, the U.S. expressed its willingness to engage in nuclear discussions with Russia without preconditions, but Moscow dismissed this as a tactic related to upcoming elections, insisting any negotiations should consider the broader security context.
In September, President Vladimir Putin suggested modifying Russia’s nuclear doctrine to respond to “aggression against Russia by any non-nuclear state, but with the participation or support of a nuclear state.” This was framed as a justification for a nuclear response.
Putin also announced the suspension of Moscow’s participation in the New START Treaty in February, citing U.S. intelligence on the development of new nuclear warheads and the goal of achieving a “strategic defeat” of Russia in the ongoing Ukraine conflict.
In early October, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that any potential arms control agreements between Russia and the U.S. must encompass nuclear infrastructure in Europe and other aspects of strategic security. “We think that insisting on conducting such negotiations while pretending that nothing happened would at the very least be imprudent,” Peskov remarked.
Allen M Lee for TROIB News
The U.S. and Russia maintain the largest nuclear arsenals globally, with approximately 5,000 and 5,500 warheads, respectively. On Thursday, the U.S. Department of Defense delivered its 491 Report to Congress, detailing the nation’s nuclear weapons employment strategy. This report, which heavily relies on President Joe Biden’s nuclear employment guidance from earlier this year, identifies Russia as an “acute threat with its large, modern, and diversified nuclear arsenal.” It also highlights that China and North Korea are rapidly expanding their nuclear capabilities.
The report suggests there is “growing collaboration and collusion between” Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran, leading Washington to prepare for a situation where it may need to deter multiple adversaries simultaneously. Additionally, it recognizes the continuing significance of arms control in maintaining strategic security.
“The United States will abide by the central limits of the New START Treaty for the duration of the Treaty as long as it assesses that Russia continues to do so,” the document states. It further mentions that any future “arrangements with Russia, for example, will need to account for U.S. deterrence requirements and other strategic threats globally.”
Last month, the U.S. expressed its willingness to engage in nuclear discussions with Russia without preconditions, but Moscow dismissed this as a tactic related to upcoming elections, insisting any negotiations should consider the broader security context.
In September, President Vladimir Putin suggested modifying Russia’s nuclear doctrine to respond to “aggression against Russia by any non-nuclear state, but with the participation or support of a nuclear state.” This was framed as a justification for a nuclear response.
Putin also announced the suspension of Moscow’s participation in the New START Treaty in February, citing U.S. intelligence on the development of new nuclear warheads and the goal of achieving a “strategic defeat” of Russia in the ongoing Ukraine conflict.
In early October, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that any potential arms control agreements between Russia and the U.S. must encompass nuclear infrastructure in Europe and other aspects of strategic security. “We think that insisting on conducting such negotiations while pretending that nothing happened would at the very least be imprudent,” Peskov remarked.
Allen M Lee for TROIB News
