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The Kremlin said on Monday that a statement U.S. National security adviser Jack Sullivan called bilateral arms control discussions “positive” and Russia remained open to dialogue.
Russian President Vladimir Putin. (Reuters)
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Sullivan said on Friday that if Russia did the same, the United States would abide by the nuclear arms limits set in the New START treaty, the last remaining nuclear arms reduction treaty between the two Cold War rivals until it expires in 2026.
Russian President Vladimir Putin suspended Moscow’s participation in the treaty in February.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “This is an important and positive statement by Mr. Sullivan. Of course, we hope that it will be de facto confirmed through the steps of the diplomatic channel before it can be considered. Proposed Dialogue Format.”
The New START treaty, signed in 2010 by then-US President Barack Obama and his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev, limited the number of strategic nuclear warheads the US and Russia could deploy.
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It went into effect in 2011 and was extended for another five years in 2021 after Joe Biden became president of the United States.
Under the agreement, Moscow and Washington pledged to deploy no more than 1,550 strategic nuclear warheads and up to 700 long-range missiles and bombers.
When working as intended, the agreement allows U.S. and Russian inspectors to ensure that the other side abides by the treaty.
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