Moscow-Difficult To See US Inspectors At Russian Military Facilities

Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov spoke earlier regarding the New START arms limitation treaty with the US. Stated that following talks with new US ambassador Lynne Tracy last week he found it, "Difficult to imagine US officers inspecting Russian military installations when they are a party to the conflict in Ukraine." Allowing officers from the other nation to inspect military sites is a key provision of the New START treaty.

• Ryabkov's comments come after a statement was posted on the Foreign Ministry website from Ryabkov on the 20th anniversary of then-US Secretary of State Colin Powell's speech to the UNSC accusing Saddam Hussein's Iraq of building WMDs. Ryabkov: "...[the US] will also have to reckon with Russia and China, as well as other major international players that are shaping a more equitable multilateral world order." Moscow continues to position itself as supporter of a 'multilateral' order, a concept highly promoted by China.
• Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency Rafael Grossi is set to visit Moscow this week according to state-run Interfax. Ryabkov says that 'Moscow is counting on a deep and professional conversation on the nuclear safety zone around the [Zaporizhzhia] nuclear power plant' in Ukraine.