US Accuses Russia Of Breaching Terms Of New START Nuclear Treaty

The US State Department has accused Russia of breaching the terms of the New START nuclear treaty by blocking independent inspectors access to sites within Russia.

• The State Department said in a statement that the refusal of inspector access “prevents the United States from exercising important rights under the treaty and threatens the viability of U.S.-Russian nuclear arms control.”
• The statement says that the treaty remains in US national security interests and the US remains “ready to work constructively with Russia to fully implement new START,” but compliance must begin with Russia, “allowing inspection activities on its territory.”
• The treaty, which allows both sides to monitor the other’s nuclear programmes and applies restrictions on the deployment of intercontinental ballistic missiles, was renewed for five years in 2021 but inspections have yet to resume after a COVID-19 hiatus and subsequent deterioration of relations following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
• If New START fails to be reimplemented, then there would be no working treaty to restrict and monitor the worlds two largest nuclear arsenals for the first time since the 1970s.