Sergey Ryabkov, the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister and chief arms control official, stated in an interview published on Friday that Moscow sees little chance of salvaging its latest nuclear treaty with the United States, which is set to expire in eight months, due to the deteriorating relations with Washington.
Ryabkov told the Russian news agency TASS that the missile defense initiative known as the “Star Wars” project, proposed by former President Donald Trump, is highly destabilizing and creates significant obstacles for arms control.
His remarks are among the most somber yet from Moscow regarding the New START treaty, the last remaining nuclear arms agreement between the two nations. This treaty imposes limitations on the number of strategic warheads each side can deploy. Ryabkov characterized the current state of U.S.-Russia relations as utterly destructive.
In 2023, Russian President Vladimir Putin commented on Russia’s participation in New START, linking it to U.S. support for Ukraine. He noted, however, that Russia would adhere to the treaty’s limits concerning warheads, missiles, and heavy bombers.
Ryabkov expressed to TASS, “There’s no justification for a complete resumption of the New START treaty under the current circumstances. With the treaty’s expiration approaching in approximately eight months, discussing the viability of such an idea increasingly loses its meaning.”
He also remarked, “Clearly, destabilizing programs like the missile defense initiative that the U.S. is implementing present additional hurdles that complicate any constructive discussion regarding potential nuclear disarmament initiatives.