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Russia hopes to avoid negative scenarios after New START expiration — senior diplomat

Sergey Ryabkov noted that Russia continues to take "steps to keep windows of opportunity open in the interests of political-diplomatic measures and to ensure predictability and restraint in the strategic sphere"

MOSCOW, December 22. /TASS/. Russia hopes to avoid negative developments in the strategic situation following the expiration of theTreaty between Russia and the United States on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms (the New START Treaty), Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said at a Valdai International Discussion Club debate themed "(Non-)Strategic Stability 2025: A Year in International Security."

"The task of preparing for all possible developments in the strategic situation after the expiration of New START remains relevant. Nevertheless, we would like to believe that the most undesirable options can be avoided," he noted.

The deputy minister noted that Russia continues to take "steps to keep windows of opportunity open in the interests of political-diplomatic measures and to ensure predictability and restraint in the strategic sphere."

"This is precisely the aim of the most important initiative by Russian President [Vladimir Putin] in the post-New START sphere regarding the parties to this treaty adopting voluntary self-restraints in observing its central quantitative limits after the final expiration of this agreement in February 2026," the senior diplomat emphasized. "We are convinced that this stabilizing step would help, at a minimum, to gain time for preparing potential further efforts to prevent negative scenarios in a world without New START."

"There has still been no substantive reaction from the United States to our initiative," Ryabkov stated.

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