Russia Favors Extending New START, Slams US Manipulations As Inadmissible - Ryabkov

Muhammad Irfan Published June 19, 2019 | 04:16 PM

Russia has paid attention to US National Security Advisor John Bolton's recent statement on the fate of the Russian-US New START arms reduction treaty, but it still sticks to the position that the treaty should be extended, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said on Wednesday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th June, 2019) Russia has paid attention to US National Security Advisor John Bolton's recent statement on the fate of the Russian-US New START arms reduction treaty, but it still sticks to the position that the treaty should be extended, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said on Wednesday.

Bolton said on Tuesday that while the United States had not made a final decision yet, the treaty was unlikely to be extended beyond 2021 when it would expire.

"Yes, we have taken note of this statement.

Our position is well known. We believe that the treaty should be extended for the sake of ensuring international peace and security. But prior to that we should solve the well-known problem with the United States artificially removing a certain portion of its strategic carriers from the treaty and announcing that they have been reequipped," Ryabkov told reporters.

Ryabkov slammed Washington's "manipulations" related to the New START as inadmissible.