Russia said today that it is no longer "bound" by the New START treaty with the US, which limits the strategic nuclear arsenals of both countries and expires today at midnight, Agence France-Presse reported, BTA reported.
This is entering a period of uncertainty amid fears of a new arms race, the agency notes.
“We proceed from the assumption that the parties to the New START treaty are no longer bound by any obligations or mutual declarations under the treaty“, the Russian Foreign Ministry said today.
Shortly before that, however, Russia assured that it would act "considered and responsible" on issues related to nuclear weapons weapons.
The New START treaty, signed in 2010 by then-US and Russian presidents Barack Obama and Dmitry Medvedev, imposes limits on each side, including up to 800 missile carriers and heavy bombers and up to 1,550 strategic nuclear warheads. It also includes a verification mechanism, AFP notes.
Moscow has previously accused Washington of obstructing inspections provided for by the treaty, which were suspended in the context of the war in Ukraine.
During a conversation today with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin “stressed that in this situation we will act thoughtfully and responsibly“, Kremlin foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov told journalists.
“We remain open to finding ways to negotiate and ensure strategic stability“, he said Ushakov.
At this stage, however, Washington is not going into details about its intentions, AFP reports.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he had nothing to announce, but President Donald Trump would speak “later“ on the subject, without specifying when. He also indicated that the United States wanted to include China in all discussions.
“The President (Trump) has made it clear in the past that to achieve real arms control in the 21st century, it is impossible to act without involving China, given its significant and rapidly growing arsenal,“ Rubio told a news conference.