MOSCOW, October 17. /TASS/. Washington’s claims that it wants to hold talks on disarmament are all for show, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said.
"At this point, this is nothing more than an abstraction - to throw slogans like the one you’ve mentioned - this is just grandstanding, an attempt to fool the global majority, which is also, of course, interested in strategic stability and negotiations. However, without addressing the core issues, Washington maintains an air of palpable tension and balances on the brink of an open conflict between nuclear powers," he told TASS, commenting on US President Joe Biden’s claim regarding his intent to hold nuclear disarmament talks without preconditions.
According to Ryabkov, the wording of the US’ position is nothing new.
"This position is unacceptable for us, because, in the American approach, 'without preconditions' means detached from everything that happens in the world, including in the Russian-American relations in regards to the special military operation and so on. A country that seeks to - and this is not mere declarations, but cemented in doctrine documents - inflict a strategic defeat on us, also wants to hold negotiations in the area of strategic weapons. These two things do not mix, do not combine, they are mutually exclusive," the diplomat added.
"Our position is that any perspective for a dialogue on strategic stability and everything regarding what may happen after the New START Treaty expires in 2026, any speculations, even abstract ones, are possible only after we see tangible changes for the better in the American position, in American actions," Ryabkov noted. "Meaning, when we see that an abolition of the anti-Russian obsession, which saturates the entire US foreign policy today, begins in practice. First, actions, aimed at recognition of our interests, at restoration of equal approach to international relations, mutual respect, and then, if and when these first things happen, then we could return to examining the question of whether such dialogue is necessary, and if it is, then in what format and so on.
On February 21, 2023, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that Moscow suspends its participation in the New START Treaty, but does not withdraw from it. The head of state underscored that, before returning to further work under the agreement, Russia needs to understand, how nuclear arsenals of the UK and France will be accounted for in the treaty.