President Donald Trump called the expired New START treaty a « bad deal » and pushed for a new arms control treaty including both Russia and China.
The United States and Russia are entering a new phase of nuclear relations with no treaty limiting their arsenals, as President Donald Trump calls for a sweeping new arms control agreement and Russian officials warn that Washington’s approach would make any deal impossible.
The last agreement that capped U.S. and Russian nuclear weapons, known as New START, expired Thursday, leaving the world’s two largest nuclear powers without legally binding limits on their arsenals or an inspection regime.
Trump called New START a « bad deal » that was being « grossly violated », and said the United States should instead pursue a « new, improved and modernized treaty. »
Russian officials quickly pushed back. Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chair of Russia’s security council, said U.S. criticism of New START « means one thing: there’ll never be a treaty under these terms », arguing Washington is demanding limits that ignore other nuclear-armed states and new weapons systems.
The United States and Russia have entered a new phase of nuclear relations with no treaty now limiting their arsenals, after the last remaining arms control agreement between the two powers expired this week. As the two powers seek to negotiate a new framework, each is seeking to expand restrictions on each other’s allies, with the U.S. aiming to include China, and Russia countering by saying Britain and France should also be covered.
Speaking Wednesday at the Conference on Disarmament, Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Thomas DiNanno said New START’s limits no longer reflect today’s nuclear landscape.
« As of yesterday, New START and its central limits have expired », DiNanno said. « Even if we could have legally extended the treaty, it would not have been beneficial for the United States — or the world — to do so.
