All news

Russian ready to join arms control talks immediately after US agrees to it — diplomat

"We are open for talks", Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said

MOSCOW, August 25. /TASS/. Russia’s foreign ministry will embark on nuclear arms control negotiations with the United States as soon as it receives a corresponding signal from the US side, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Sunday.

"We are interested in any new agreements no more than the United States. We are open for talks. The Russian president said that we invite the United States for immediate talks. And, naturally, the foreign ministry and other our structures dealing with foreign politics are in full alert: as soon as the Americans say ‘yes,’ we will be able to embark on the process immediately," he said in an interview with Russia’s television Channel One.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said earlier he thought it necessary to waste no time and resume full-format strategic stability and security talks with Washington.

US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo said on August 2 Washington was withdrawing from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty. The Russian foreign ministry also confirmed that the treaty had been terminated at the United States’ initiative from August 2.

The Treaty between the United States of America and the Russian Federation on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms (the New START Treaty) expires in 2021 but can be extended for five more years. US National Security Adviser John Bolton said in late July the treaty was unlikely to be extended however, no final decision on that matter had been made.