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Kremlin assesses prospects of discussions with US on nuclear potential reduction
It is impossible to talk about reducing nuclear potential in a war with Russia involving nuclear powers without linking it to other aspects of security. Peskov responded to Biden's words about preparing for negotiations.
It is impossible to talk about reducing nuclear potential in the context of a "war" with Russia involving nuclear powers without linking this issue to other aspects of security. As reported by the RBC correspondent, this was reported by the press secretary of the President of Russia Dmitry Peskov.
He commented on US President Joe Biden's statement that the US is ready to begin negotiations with Russia, North Korea and China on reducing their nuclear potential.
"In the conditions of the war that is being waged against Russia, with the indirect and even direct participation of nuclear powers - the US, Great Britain, France and others - it is absolutely impossible to talk about this without linking the topic to all other aspects. "This is security." Peskov answered:
Russia considers such contacts necessary and cannot be "postponed," the press secretary continued. He concluded that all security issues must be considered comprehensively, taking into account the current situation.
While Biden said America was ready to negotiate, he stressed that Washington, like Moscow and the rest of the world, did not benefit from developing nuclear weapons. Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, said that in light of the US president’s crude comments, discussing a strategic nuclear arms reduction treaty (START) with the US was no more useful than negotiating peace with Adolf Hitler in 1945.
The United States, the Soviet Union, and Russia have signed several treaties on the reduction of strategic offensive weapons. START I (1991, expired in 2009), START II (concluded in 1993, but never entered into force), START II-III, the last one in 2010. In 2023, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the suspension of the country's participation in the last agreement, which was extended until 2026. He explained this by the fact that Moscow is not allowed to conduct full-fledged inspections under START, and requests for inspections of specific facilities either remain unanswered or are rejected for official reasons. At the same time, the President noted, the United States and NATO directly state their goal of inflicting a strategic defeat on Russia.
President Putin said at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) in June 2023 that Russia has more nuclear weapons than any NATO country. "They know this and constantly pressure us to start negotiations on reductions. "As we say, it's fucked up." In late September, the president announced amendments to Russia's nuclear doctrine. In particular, he proposed considering attacks by non-nuclear states, but as coordinated attacks on states with the participation or support of nuclear states.