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Russia has announced a freeze on U.S. inspections of its nuclear arsenal under a key arms control treaty, claiming Western sanctions have hindered similar access by Russian monitors to U.S. facilities.
The move reflects heightened tensions between Moscow and Washington over Russia’s military action in Ukraine and marks the first time the Kremlin has halted U.S. inspections under the New Beginnings nuclear weapons control treaty.
In announcing the freeze on U.S. inspections, Russia’s foreign ministry said sanctions, visa restrictions and other obstacles imposed by the U.S. and its allies on Russian flights effectively prevented Russian military experts from visiting U.S. nuclear weapons facilities, giving the U.S. “unilateral advantage.”
It claims U.S. inspectors have faced no such difficulties, even though Moscow has closed the skies to 27 EU nations, the U.K. and Canada — though not the U.S. — after the conflict in Ukraine began in late February.
Russia said at the time that exceptions would be made for the delivery of diplomatic missions and humanitarian aid.
Russia’s foreign ministry claimed the freeze was temporary and permitted by the agreement “in exceptional circumstances”.
It noted that Russia “highly values” the new starting point, adding that inspections may resume after the issues hindering the inspections are resolved.
“Russia is fully committed to complying with all the provisions of New Beginnings, which we consider to be an important tool for the maintenance of international security and stability,” the ministry said, urging “a thorough study of all problems in this area, the successful resolution of which will enable the Treaty’s All verification mechanisms will be restored to full application as soon as possible.”
“As soon as the issue of resumption of inspection activities under the treaty is resolved, we will immediately lift the exemption for inspection activities that we announced,” the ministry said.
The New Beginnings Treaty, signed by U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in 2010, limits the number of nuclear warheads and missiles and bombers deployed by each country to no more than 1,550 and 700, and envisages a comprehensive on-site inspections to verify compliance.
Just days before the new start was scheduled to expire in February 2021, Russia and the United States agreed to extend it for another five years.
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