MOSCOW, April 8. / TASS /. Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev believes that Treaty on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms (New START) may provide time for the creation of a new multilateral arms control system, wrote he in an exclusive op-ed for TASS.
"The extension of the Treaty could allow time for the development of a new and, possibly, even a multilateral strategic arms control system. If the New START deal ceases to exist, its demise will have extremely serious consequences for international security," Medvedev said. Exactly 10 years ago, on April 8, 2010, he signed this agreement in Prague following talks with US President Barack Obama.
"Today, when relations between our countries are going through difficult times, it is worth looking back on that event from a decade ago," Medvedev noted.
"It is no exaggeration to say that the document signed then was a real achievement in Russian-US relations, and in many respects, it eased the general situation in the world," he said.
According to Medvedev, then both countries brought their nuclear arsenals to the state of the early 1960s, that is, to the state that preceded the start of a large-scale arms race between the USSR and the USA.
We had enough goodwill, mutual respect, and honest regard for each other's positions to do this. And most importantly, we shared the understanding that without the New START accord we would have been unable to pave a normal path into the 21st century," he emphasized.
Different scenario
"Unfortunately, the subsequent events that unfolded followed a completely different scenario," Medvedev said.
"The "reset" of our relations, on which so many hopes were pinned, morphed into an utter "overload". Moreover, this happened solely at the will of our US partners, who flipped from cooperation to political pressure and unleashed an unprecedented war of sanctions against us, trying to oust Russia from the global agenda," Medvedev wrote.
The recent years have proved to be extremely difficult for arms control, he wrote. "In particular, the US-initiated abolition of the Treaty on the Elimination of Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range Missiles (INF Treaty) touched off a very alarming signal," he said. Medvedev stressed that Moscow has repeatedly paid attention to "Washington’s non-compliance with a number of New START provisions, "while this treaty remains the only international agreement limiting the strategic offensive arms race."
Medvedev pointed out that Russia fully complied with its obligations to reduce strategic offensive arms by February 5, 2018. Since that time, Moscow has repeatedly raised the issue of extending the agreement after February 5, 2021.
"However, our American partners are constantly creating new obstacles to this," Medvedev wrote. "The position of the US Department of State on China’s hypothetical accession to New START and on applying the Treaty in its current form to the newest Russian weapons looks utterly unrealistic. It seems that Washington is trying "to indulge in endless back-and-forth dialogue and torpedo the prolongation of this document, which is extremely important for maintaining strategic stability in the world."
Dangerous consequences
The Security Council Deputy Chairman said that Russia's position on this issue, voiced by President Vladimir Putin, remains unchanged: Russia is not interested in an arms race and is ready to extend the New START accord immediately and without preconditions. "However, the United States does not seek, contrary to what was seen ten years ago, to engage in a serious, honest and professional dialogue," Medvedev wrote.
"If the New START deal ceases to exist, its demise will have extremely serious consequences for international security," he warned.
Medvedev noted that the anniversary of the treaty signing has another important dimension.
"Now that the world is on the verge of a grave global crisis in light of the coronavirus pandemic, countries should particularly strive to provide mutual assistance and support for one another," he emphasized. "This means that a completely different, sanctions-free relationship is needed to cope with this dangerous threat. Ten years ago, Russia and the United States proved that they are capable of overcoming disagreements and coming to terms - not only for the sake of their peoples, but for the sake of all of humanity," he concluded. " Today, this ability to hear each other out is especially relevant."
New Start Treaty
On April 8, 2010, Russian Presidents Dmitry Medvedev and US President Barack Obama signed the Treaty on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms (New START) following negotiations in Prague, another document on limiting nuclear arsenals, the prospects for which were discussed back in 1997. The document called for the reduction of up to 1,550 nuclear warheads, up to 700 units of intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarines and heavy bombers. The document entered into force on February 5, 2011, and on February 5, 2018, the parties announced the fulfillment of their obligations.
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