The United States has avoided any substantive discussion on the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START), Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said at the 4th Moscow Non-Proliferation Conference.
"We are extremely concerned over the situation around the future of the New START treaty," he noted, adding that it expires in February 2021.
The New START treaty is the "last instrument in control over the strategic offensive arms of our two countries," the diplomat pointed out.
Russia has repeatedly expressed a readiness to address issues related to its possible extension, Ryabkov stressed.
"Under the current circumstances, the extension of the New START treaty seems to be the only way to prevent a complete degradation of strategic stability and avoid erosion of control and limitation mechanism in the area of nuclear arms and missiles, as well as win time to continue to study and work on approaches, including on new arms and technologies, and consider methods of their control," Sputnik cited him as saying.
The diplomat added that while repeatedly raising this issue, the United States has avoided any substantive discussion.
"Besides this, Washington clearly ignores our concerns related to the US' adherence to its commitments under the treaty and refuses to clarify its plans regarding the treaty's extension", Ryabkov added.
