WASHINGTON, February 18. /TASS/. Russia and the United States need to maintain dialogue on the development of new agreements in the sphere of nuclear arms control, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi said on Wednesday.
"I’m not privy to the discussions, but I think the United States and Russia are talking," Grossi said in an interview with Foreign Policy magazine recorded on the sidelines of the Munich Conference on February 13-15.
"So perhaps it’s not completely accurate to say nothing is happening. There is a dialogue, and of course it should be promoted and supported," the IAEA chief added.
The New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, the last international legal restriction on the deployment of nuclear weapons, expired on February 5 due to Washington’s reluctance to extend it. US President Donald Trump had proposed to make a "better" agreement that would include China.
Moscow suggested extending the treaty’s validity for another year after the document expired but received no official response from Washington to the initiative. As for China, Moscow believes that it’s Beijing’s prerogative to make a decision and will respect any choice China makes.
However, Russia emphasized that if New START’s scope was expanded at some point, it should include nuclear powers such as the UK and France, US allies and NATO members, whose nuclear capabilities are not covered by any strategic stability agreement.