MOSCOW, February 8. /TASS/. Moscow will not allow Washington’s hostile actions that question the relevance of the New START Treaty to go unanswered, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement Wednesday.
"We have no intention of leaving the US’ hostile actions that challenge the relevance of a number of the most important New START Treaty clauses without a proper response," the Ministry said.
Meanwhile, Russia categorically denies Washington’s allegations of Moscow’s non-compliance with the Treaty. According to the Foreign Ministry, Russia provided detailed official explanations via diplomatic channels on this issue.
The Ministry underscored that the US has effectively initiated a total hybrid war against Russia, "which poses a real danger of a direct military clash between two nuclear powers." According to the Ministry, any new steps with regard to the New START Treaty will be inappropriate while the US Administration adheres to its hostile course towards Moscow.
"We state with full certainty that, until Washington reviews its hostile course towards Russia and abandons its policy of increasing threats to our national security, any ‘positive signs’ or ‘steps towards’ on issues raised by the US within the context of compliance with the New START Treaty, will be unjustified, untimely and inappropriate. This includes, among other things, holding sessions of the bilateral consultative commission on this issue," the Ministry said.
"Washington’s demands to reinstate, no matter what, the inspection activity on Russian strategic weapons facilities are blatantly shameless, especially in circumstances, when the Kiev regime attempted to strike at these facilities with obvious military-technical and intelligence assistance from the US," the Russian Ministry said.
The Ministry noted that it is impossible to do business "as usual" with the US, when Washington openly aims to inflict a "strategic defeat" on Russia in Ukraine, "where weapons are being pumped to and where instructors/mercenaries/servicemen from the US and other NATO member states are being sent to in ever increasing numbers."
The Foreign Ministry emphasized that Russia reaffirms its unwavering adherence to the New START Treaty "as an important instrument for the maintenance of international security and stability."
Dialogue impossible without mutual consideration of interests
The Russian Foreign Ministry noted that the New START Treaty was "signed in principally different political realities, and it is a part of a political process of a completely different nature, which has been fully reflected in its preamble, which is an inseparable part of the Treaty."
"In particular, it says that the sides ‘are working to forge a new strategic relationship based on mutual trust, openness, predictability, and cooperation,’ ‘guided by the principle of indivisible security,’ and aim to ‘further reduce the role and importance of nuclear weapons.’ We have to state that the US’ policy is diametrically opposed to all these goals," the Ministry said.
"Before accusing the Russian Federation of ‘non-compliance’ with New START clauses, the US should first resolve the years-long issues regarding the illegitimate exclusion of a significant part of their strategic weapons from the count under the treaty, which Washington either declared repurposed or renamed them so that they are no longer covered by the treaty’s definitions," the Ministry concluded.
Russia is calling on the US to realize that relations with Moscow should be built only based on the "fundamental principles of equality and mutual consideration of interests." Meanwhile, the Russian side expects that the US Administration will draw "relevant practical conclusions" from the current situation around the Treaty.