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Moscow wanted to state inadmissibility of any war with US, Russian delegation says

The Russian delegation hoped that "the United States does not intend to engage in a conflict with Russia using conventional weapons"

DUSHANBE, July 14. /TASS/. Russia intended to declare inadmissibility of any war with the US, not just a nuclear one, in a statement following the Putin-Biden summit in Geneva. This position was expressed by the Russian side at a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers in Dushanbe on Wednesday, according to sources in the Russian delegation.

According to the agency’s interlocutors, at the meeting, it was stated that the Putin-Biden agreements of June 16 on the inadmissibility of unleashing a nuclear war and launching an integrated dialogue on strategic stability and future arms control were a rather positive step. According to the sources, the Russian delegation said that Moscow wanted "to state the inadmissibility of any war with the US, not only a nuclear one, considering the risks of it descending into a nuclear conflict between Russia and the US," but the parties "so far agreed that it is precisely a nuclear war that was inadmissible."

As the source emphasized, the Russian delegation hoped that "the United States does not intend to engage in a conflict with Russia using conventional weapons."

At the meeting, the Russian side also noted that for years, Washington has been chipping away the system of arms control, pointing to the US unilaterally exiting the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty and the Open Skies Treaty. At the same time, it was noted that "thanks to the responsible position of the Biden administration, it was possible to preserve the new START Treaty" which has been extended for five years.

The talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Joe Biden took place on June 16 in Geneva. This was their first face-to-face meeting as heads of state and also the first Russian-US summit since 2018. In a joint statement, the leaders emphasized that the parties intended to launch an integrated bilateral strategic stability dialogue "that will be substantive and robust." Additionally, Moscow and Washington intend to begin consultations touching on cybersecurity, an exchange of prisoners, and arms control.

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