Russia Ready To Discuss Disarmament, Nuclear Arms Reduction Treaties With US - Lavrov

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 06th June, 2019) Russia is interested in discussing with the United States international agreements on disarmament, nuclear non-proliferation, as well as Washington building missile defense systems, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said, adding that Moscow was ready to respond to Washington's calls for resuming dialogue on these issues.

"We have a lot of issues that can turn into useful directions of joint work. First of all, this is the strategic stability field, where problems accumulated as a result of the rapid development of the US global missile defense ... [The strategic stability was also affected by] the US decision to kill the INF [Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces] treaty. We also have issues related to the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty [New START], which expires in February 2021," Lavrov said in an interview with Russia's RBC media outlet.

Lavrov added that Russia was also concerned over the US decision not to ratify the 1996 Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, which the United States signed but never ratified.

"We are ready to discuss these topics. We want to discuss all these issues with the United States. We will always respond to its appeals to resume dialogue ... But if [Washington] decides that it is not interested in it, it will be its decision," Lavrov indicated.

In February, the United States formally suspended its obligations under the INF Treaty and triggered the six-month withdrawal process. Washington said it would terminate this procedure if Russia agreed to be compliant with the pact. Moscow responded by suspending its participation in the treaty as well.

�The New START agreement, which came into force in 2011, covers a 10-year period with the possibility of a five-year extension. The agreement limits the number of deployed intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarine-launched ballistic missiles, nuclear armed bombers and nuclear warheads.